Confucius once said that:
«Music produces a kind of pleasure without which human nature cannot exist.»
Two thousand years later Nietzsche who was philosophically quite distant from Confucius wrote:
«My melancholy wants to rest in hiding places and abysses of perfection: that’s why I need music.»
Music is very important to most of us, whether we are philosophers or not, and this is because music is closely related to the development of certain faculties of the human brain that have been crucial in creating civilization as we know it today. As we mentioned before, some neuroscientists like Daniel J. Levitin have begun to explore the relationship between music and the human brain. The neuroscientist has classified all the songs we sing into 6 categories according to the need they satisfy: friendship, joy, comfort, knowledge, religion or spirituality, and love. Previously we have already talked about friendship songs, so this time we will abound in those that represent the joy of being alive.
in his book «The world in 6 songs» Levitin is abundant in substances secreted by the body as a result of exposure to music or singing songs. Oxytocin also known as «the love hormone» is secreted when people sing together and the scientist proposes that this may be related to the ability to create bonds between members of a community and lubricate social interactions. Another important substance is immunoglobulin A, an important antibody needed to fight mucosal infections and whose production can be stimulated through music therapy. On the other hand, the scientist cites studies that suggest that a four-week course of music therapy can increase levels of melanin, norepinephrine and epinephrine, which helps regulate the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. On the other hand, the serotonin released can help improve mood and combat depression.
In the words of the scientist:
“ We have songs of joy because moving, dancing and exercising our bodies is an adaptive behavior within the history of evolution. We stretch, jump, and use sounds to communicate that we feel good because our bodies, through natural selection, developed rewards for those behaviors. Songs of joy give us a jolt of good brain chemistry as a biological echo of their importance over thousands of years of evolution.»
These are 5 songs to celebrate the joy of being alive, as this is also a way to feed resilience:
1. What a wonderful world, Louis Armstrong.
«I see green trees and also red roses, I see them bloom for me and for you and I think what a wonderful world» sings Louis Armstrong with his unforgettable smile that makes us believe every word.
2. Don’t worry be happy, Bobby McFerrin.
An invitation to reduce our cortisol levels caused by stress and remember that it is best not to worry.
3.Corner of the earth, Jamiroquai.
This song is a celebration of those moments when we feel like the sun shines just for us and we find joy in every tree, cloud and thing around us.
4. Blue Skies, Ella Fitzgerald.
The joy of living is felt and seen reflected in the fine solos of vocal improvisation or sack of Ella Fitzgerald and other jazz greats. Specifically, in this song, the diva talks about those moments in life when everything seems to flow and smile at us.
5. I got you (I feel good), James Brown.
“I feel good” says the blues reverend as he conveys the joy of living through this song that is already a classic.
And you? What songs do you listen to celebrate life?
With information from “The world in six songs” by Daniel J. Levitin