So, a few months ago my mate and I decided to take the leap into house buying. We found our dream home in the woods of central New Jersey. Maybe the only downfall; my commute. Clocking in at almost an hour, I decided it may make myself feel productive during that time and do my best to listen to informational podcasts on the ride. I started with medical mystery killers but it made me feel scared, a different kind of goose-pimples. The news channels were next but they had the same effect as medical killers. I landed on a podcast called Key Notes. (oh, all of my listenings are done through Spotify).
Key Notes is a spin off of another podcast called Dissect and claims itself as an ‘interactive music show’. As a listener, I fully support that claim. From just the title of the first episode, ‘Why Does Music Give You Chills?’, I was hooked! I LOVE music, regardless of genre. If there is music in ear shot I will most definitely (atleast!) have my toe tappin’.
Host Carl Kushner, a composer, speaks about the science of what happens in our brain that causes those little ‘goose pimples’ along with some music. With the help of Andrea Viscontis, associate professor at University of San Francisco, the listener is invited to experience first hand the chill provoking melodies of a variety of different music genres. From classical to modern pop, the idea is the same, repetition followed by an exciting climax.
live from the podcast:
The song that I first connected with that was discussed was Olivia Rodrigo ‘Driver’s License’. A nice, flowy, light song that is right up my alley. Of course I experienced the chills! What really made my jaw drop was when the song ‘Who Gon Stop Me’ Collab with Jay- Z and Kanye West. This genre is not my ‘go-to’ but still there were moments in the song that got my dopamine flowing!
Okay, great sell, but WHY? Doctor Valorie Salimpoor of Rotman Research Institute in Toronto with the help of a few friends completed a study that anatomically followed the release of dopamine to music. And what I have come to understand is that there are essential two key players in this act, the caudate and the nucleus accumbens. It sounds scary but it is actually not too intimidating. Basically as the music builds, the caudate nucleus controls the release of happy juice (dopamine). Then, at that goosebump-filled climax, the nucleus accumbens assists in dopamine spreading.
WHOA! To be clear, I am in no way a doctor or scientist and trying my best to understand this information was a struggle. Which leads me to the ultimate conclusion of this article which is THE BRAIN IS FREAKING COOL! And when it is combined with sweet ass music, it provides that sweet sweet life.