Metallica and Mood Swings

Columbia University professor and psychiatrist Galina Mindlin believes that listening to songs with a certain number of beats per minute can trigger specific mental states (e.g. productivity, relaxation, etc). She argues that changing the type of music is a cheap - and no-side-effect - remedy to the ups and downs of life.

Metallica, according to Mindlin, can help relieve depression. Mindlin also noted one patient who was a B student who became an A student after switching the type of music she listened to when she studied. Also, fast-frequency music can help ADHD patients whose brains enter a dreamlike state when overwhelmed.

Heavy Metal and Intelligence

A study reveals that many intelligent teenagers - 1,000+ of the smartest 5% teenagers - listen to heavy metal to deal with the self-esteem issues, social awkwardness and, in some cases, family problems.

Participants said they liked the complex, and sometimes political, nature of heavy metal music.

Metallica and Monkeys

A study revealed that cottontop tamarins listened to a variety of music (Bach, Led Zeppelin, Miles Davis, etc.) but only calmed down when listening to Metallica.

Like in music, in human speech, changing the tone of one's voice, the rhythm, pitch or speed allows one to gauge the emotional state of the speaker. For example, we use long tones for calming a baby while using short tones to indicate seriousness. The study found that monkeys, "interpret rising and falling tones differently than humans."

Music Makes Kids Nicer

Research suggests music can develop empathy within children. Kids played games demanding rhythmic coordination, others composed music together, others asked kids to copy the music another child played. Other kids routinely met to also play games emphasizing empathy but through words. Only those kids who played musical games significantly increased their empathy. The other kids had slightly higher levels of empathy to begin, but at year's end the music group beat them handily.

Music = Romance

Research finds that an average-looking man's chances of getting a woman's phone number after flirting doubled when the woman had just heard romantic music.

A guy whom women rated as average talked about food products with ~90 women, aged 18-20. Before the conversation, Group 1 heard a romantic French tune, Je L’aime a Mourir. Group 2 heard a "neutral" French song, L’heure du Thé.

After talking, the guy only 28% of Group 2 women's phone # vs. 52% of Group 1.

Mindbending Music

Music on another level, using the pentatonic scale - see the video

Music & Language

Research suggests that music and language processing depend on some of the same brain systems.

One brain system, based in the temporal lobes, helps humans memorize information in language and music (e.g. words and meanings and familiar melodies). The other system, based in the frontal lobes, helps us unconsciously learn and employ the rules underlying language and music (e.g. syntax and harmony).

The study 1) confirms one set of brain structures underlies rules in language and music, 2) suggests that a different brain system underlies memorized information in both. Therefore, language and music both depend on 2 different brain systems for rules and arbitrary information.

Music Sounds Different To Different People

Researchers placed auditory implants in ferrets and each ferret responded differently to the same sound because neurons reacted differently each time, an effect applicable to humans. So, human brains process sounds depending on how our ears deliver that sound. This means different people may hear the same sound differently.

Still, this is music no matter what anyone says.