Jazz Music

In this blog, I will talk about the wonders of jazz and all its benefits. A “dying” genre of music, jazz is dimmed and unacknowledged compared to other more relevant genres in this day and age, such as R&B, rap, and pop. Because the genre is so outdated, most people don't listen to it as much and don't recognize and understand its valuable impacts.

History

Jazz music is a genre with a rich history and deep cultural roots. It emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, primarily in the African American communities of the southern United States. Jazz music is characterized by its unique blend of African and European musical traditions, its improvisational nature, and its emphasis on individual expression. The African influence is evident in the rhythm, improvisation, and call-and-response patterns of jazz, while the European influence is seen in the use of Western instruments like the piano, trumpet, and saxophone, as well as harmony and tonality.

Jazz music continued to evolve throughout the 20th century, with various styles and subgenres emerging, such as swing, bebop, cool jazz, hard bop, free jazz, and fusion. Some key influencers of jazz include artists such as Buddy Bolden, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington.

Benefits

1. Lowering Blood Pressure

Nearly half of the population of adults in the United States, 47% of 116 million, suffer from hyperextension, or high blood pressure. If left untreated, the problem can lead to a number of hazardous conditions, including:

• Kidney problems

• Heart failure/attacks

• Dementia

• Brain problems

• Aneurysms

Jazz has been shown to lower blood pressure by widening blood vessels, reducing the probability of developing health concerns. How? The 2015 Master’s in Healthcare Administration study confirmed that jazz can enlarge blood arteries by up to 30% and increase immunoglobulin levels, thereby lowering the risk of infection problems.

2. Alleviating Chronic Pain

In the same Master’s in Healthcare Administration study in 2015, the study concluded that those who listen to jazz music experienced 21% less pain overall in their bodies than others who did not. Similar to how music can mitigate stress and arouse happiness, jazz music can push human’s brains to subdue pain. For example, other than low-level pain, jazz can also aid many other major pain problems such as:

• Chronic diseases

• Child labor pains

• Post-operation rehabilitation

• Migraines

Therefore, jazz music provides a fully natural, risk-free therapy for many types of illnesses, from short-term events such as labor to long-term occurrences such as recurrent migraines to chronic conditions such as depression.

3. Stimulating the Brain

Another one of the cognitive benefits of listening to jazz music is its ability to enhance the quality of sleep and levels of creativity as it stimulates the brain. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, jazz music can invigorate your alpha, delta, and theta brain waves. The alpha wave promotes relaxation, while the delta wave allows better sleep. Whereas theta waves work to improve creativity, supporting the main component of jazz’s effect on our mental capacity: mental stimulation.

Influence on Cognitive Functioning

Listening to jazz music has been shown to have a positive impact on attention and memory. Several studies have investigated the effects of jazz music on cognitive performance, with promising findings. In a 2014 study by Lesiuk, researchers examined the impact of jazz music on cognitive performance while participants performed complex cognitive tasks. The study found that participants who listened to jazz music while completing the tasks displayed improved concentration and task performance compared to those who worked in silence or listened to other types of music. The researchers suggested that the unique qualities of jazz music, such as its improvisational nature and rhythmic complexity, may enhance cognitive processes such as attention and working memory.

Another study conducted in 2017 by Särkämö and colleagues investigated the effects of daily listening to jazz music on cognitive function in older adults. The study found that listening to jazz music for 60 minutes a day led to significant improvements in verbal memory and focused attention compared to a control group that did not listen to music. The researchers suggested that the positive effects of jazz music on cognitive function may be due to its ability to stimulate the brain and promote neuroplasticity.

Furthermore, jazz music has also been linked to enhanced creativity and problem-solving abilities. A study conducted by Steinel examined the impact of jazz music on divergent thinking tasks, which require innovative and creative thinking. The study found that participants who listened to jazz music while completing the tasks demonstrated better performance compared to those who worked in silence. The researchers suggested that the improvisational nature of jazz music may serve as a catalyst for cognitive flexibility, allowing listeners to explore new ideas and perspectives and thus promoting creativity.

Neuroscience of Jazz

Research has shown that listening to jazz music engages multiple brain networks, making it an excellent tool for stimulating both emotional and cognitive processing. A study conducted by Alluri and colleagues explored the effects of listening to jazz music on the brain. They discovered that jazz music activates various brain regions involved in processing emotions, such as the limbic system, as well as those associated with higher cognitive functioning, like the prefrontal cortex. The complex interplay of melody, harmony, and rhythm in jazz music requires the brain to engage in intricate processing, keeping the listener's mind active and alert. Like other types of music, listening to jazz music has been shown to increase dopamine release in the brain. In a study conducted by Salimpoor in 2011, participants who listened to their favorite jazz music experienced an increase in dopamine release in the striatum, a region of the brain associated with reward and pleasure. This dopamine release is believed to contribute to the feelings of pleasure and satisfaction experienced while listening to jazz music and may also play a role in enhancing cognitive function.