Culture
SOUND OFF | Music on the Mind
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People generally agree that music has an impact on mental health and our moods, whether through numerous studies that show correlations between music, relaxation and improved mental health, or through countless Twitter memes about sad Drake songs. Some people even program music around their lives, listening to certain music in the morning to pump themselves up for the day, or calming music at night to sleep. One of the most intriguing explorations of music’s cognitive impact has been the incorporation of music into mental health treatment. Music therapy, as it’s called, is not meant to cure mental health issues on its own, but can help alleviate some of the pain involved with certain symptoms, as well as augment actual cures such as medication. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, there are four major components to music therapy: lyric analysis, improv music playing, active music listening and songwriting.
