Using music as medicine can help in many ways, especially in teens. Music has been used as entertainment in the past, but now people are even using it as medicine to help soothe their minds. There’s been an increase in depression and anxiety of nearly 25% since 2020. With that percentage only rising, music can help bring that percentage lower if more people listened. 

“I think [music] helps me personally wind down because it’s soothing, and I feel like it also makes me feel happy while I’m working or writing something. I feel like it ties into the vibe, it just makes everything feel more relaxed. So then I feel less pressured or stressed when I’m doing something. I feel like music just kind of calms it down,” Cindy Tovar, Amador’s Wellness Center teacher. 

People often also tie memories to music. When someone listens to a song that reminds them of a past memory, they can reminisce about some good times. The lyrics can really help someone feel connected when no one else is around. Mirror neurons in our brains are stimulated and are lighting up to emotions when this connection is being felt. 

“I can relate to memories just because looking back to, ‘oh, hey, this song was, like, popping when I was, this age’ or, ‘when I was doing this’ or ‘when I was going here’. So definitely with memories, emotions, of course. I say, lyrics hit whenever you’re going through something, and I think that’s true,” Tovar.

Upbeat music has been shown to make people the happiest. These genres include jazz and metal. They are two extremes that are also extremely expressive in their own music styles. Classical music and choir is also known to have a soothing feeling. Grunge and the blues are well known to make people feel more sad, with emotional lyrics and instrumentals. 

“Some music just really gets me super excited and pumped and just happy. Then other music just relaxes me more,” Lizzie Loundagin (‘23).

Listening to music can increase dopamine levels, help people focus, and calm down panic attacks or anxiety attacks. Some calmer songs can even help a lot of people fall asleep at night because it calms autonomic nervous system, leading to slower breathing, lower heart rate, and reduced blood pressure. There are so many positive effects of music that everyone would benefit from. 

“I use music to calm down a lot, so I feel like it makes me a lot less stressed out,” said Loundagin.