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Music is all around us. It is in the traffic, the birds and even in the very beat of our hearts. For anyone to say that they don't like music is to take away from one of the finest enjoyments of life. It is an accepted art of sound in all cultures and the universal language that everyone understands.

When it comes to our emotions, music can play a huge role. By altering your metabolic rate, music can either soothe or excite, depending on the genre. Rap music, for example, has been proven to have negative effects on some teens, and is believed to cause deviant behavior in many of them. While classical music has been known to relax us by increasing endorphins, and claims are that thirty minutes of classical music is equal to a dose of Valium.

Music as "medicine for the brain" has been known to be used to treat depression, ADD, high blood pressure and mental illness (to name only a few), and has even been used in the treatment Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease. The latter two have shown to be remarkably improved, increasing mobility and memory function.

The use of music to increase memory and brain function, as well as to accelerate the learning process, has been the subject of research for decades. A Bulgarian psychologist by the name of Dr. George Lozanov developed Suggestopedia, a system by which to teach through the use of music. By implementing this philosophy it was shown that the brain absorbs information at a much faster rate and retains it more effectively. Albert Einstein was considered to be a poor student and was told that he would never be effective in any position other than that of a common laborer. At a young age he took up the violin and the rest is history.

By incorporating music into your daily life you can greatly alter your perspective and increase the health of both body and mind. Listening to your car radio can relieve a lot of the stress connected to your daily commute and will take your mind off of the many things that cause your stress. Some mellow jazz or soft rock is just the thing for washing dishes or preparing meals, and you will be amazed at how swiftly the task is completed and how little stress you notice. Up the tempo for cleaning house or fulfilling some of your other tasks and watch your energy level go up. And have you noticed how many restaurants play soothing music? It is unsurpassed in aiding the digestion of food.

To properly define music would be impossible. It can relax us, excite us and alter our perception of things around us. Studies continue to be conducted to learn more about the effects of music, and while the full extent may never be known, we can forever enjoy the beauty and the solitude that it brings each and every one of us.

Learn more about this author, Tara Rijon.
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