Music and Covid

Covid and Music

I have wondered why Italians started singing (together) from their balconies. That I love Italian opera is a given, but still… Probably many more examples from around the globe. But why? I found some explanation right here:. This article is written by music neuroscientists. It seems to be more complicated than first assumed.

Quote: “Music is universal — no human culture exists without it. Even if we only tap or move along, our universal response to music is to join in. This inclination is deeply rooted in neurobiology — our brain’s neural motor, or movement, system lights up when we hear music, even if we appear to be remaining still. This is a very funny observation. Are we as humans hard-wired for music? It seems so. Maybe even hard-wired for sound. If so, sound is at the same level as our sight.

Is this a surprise? Maybe not. Blind people can indeed function at an incredible level. That should tell us something.

The beat! In essence, we synchronise to the beat. Our brain reflects on the beat and we move along, even if we sit still. And now it becomes complicated!

Quote: “The ability to entrain to a musical beat may also be what allows us to produce music with others. Group music-making is a remarkable phenomenon when considered from the perspective of neurobiology: not only are individuals playing music together, their brains are finding the same beat”.

This is the thing: the beat binds us together, whether we sing in a choir or play a guitar in Spain while on patrol.

And Covid? In times of crisis we tend to gather together. And that is where music comes in (to play, ‘scuse the punt).

As a part of warding off crisis, we synchronise our brains and the easiest way of doing that is …. Music. This is where the beat comes in.

It is an important function to act together. It enhances well-being and self-esteem, because we are in it together.

Quote: “Right now, in the midst of a period in which the need for social bonding is perhaps greater than ever, we are glad to see socially isolated people still finding a way to make music together. Sing on, together!”

Together we can beat this virus!