Music has always been used as a tool for treating sick people throughout history. In the primary culture of the African tribes, there is a person called “Shaman” who is the music leader, physician, and religious chief of the tribe who has used music to pull out the disease.

The Hindu followers in China also used music for treatment. The Greeks used musical events as an opportunity to refresh the patients’ feelings. The Romans on the other hand, considered music useful in treating plague and insomnia.

From the 17th century up to the middle of the 18th century, in order to preserve the importance of music as a medical aid, it was only played for the royal families. Writers like “Spencer and Shakespeare” had tried to establish a scientific status for music in treating psychological problems.

For the effects of music on treating diseases in the 20th century the field of music therapy was pioneered so that music could be applied for treating people, particularly in the field of psychology.

The first music therapy association in the world was the National Music Therapy Association in the United States established in 1950. In 1971 the American Music Therapy Association was founded and at the same time, the world’s third significant music therapy center named Canadian Music Therapy Association was founded in 1974.

The physiological structure of the brain in response to music changes; for instance, blood pressure and heartbeat rate depend on the type of music. Music also relaxes the muscles, increases “Endorphin” and decreases the amount of stress hormones. The studies show that even 15 minutes of listening to music can have positive effects on individuals.

Listening to the type of sound carefully can make music a relaxation practice for people, for example, it helps people enhance their learning and comprehension skills. A study on students shows that when they listen to classical music, they can answer their logical questions much better. The effects of music on people’s feelings like on children’s sleep qualities are also proven.

There is a center for comprehending music in the human brain which is located behind the forehead. This part is also responsible for learning and showing human feelings. Thus, there is a direct relationship between music, learning, controlling, and expressing feelings.

The experts have concluded that individuals show different responses to music on various occasions because people’s psychological condition consists of various structural units.

We should find out that in our brain what type of music is understood as relaxing and soothing. We also should know what type of music may cause “stress” and “anxiety” for us and it may lead to illnesses.

The studies show that music can protect people from psychological and physical illnesses or play a role in treating those illnesses and decrease the amount of pain and suffering and prevent some unpleasant situations. These studies emphasize that the type of music must be regarded with great care while treating illnesses.

The researchers have concluded that music has a direct impact on people’s abilities to pay attention to details, intelligence, viewpoints, and comprehension. Music has a great influence on relaxing and enhancing the patients in the ICU section who are in severe health conditions. The brain system responds positively to the ‘musical impulses’ and it can change the patients’ mood generally. Listening to music can give a soothing feeling to the human soul and mind.

Music has a positive impact on various hormones, heartbeat, blood pressure, strengthening the body, and body movements. Music influences the center of feelings and emotions i.e. ‘Limbic’ and aggression precisely. It also helps the memory functions better so that old memories could be recalled more easily and it has positive effects on physical health.

 Some famous figures’ opinions on music:

Plato: Music is a moral law. It gives the soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm to life and everything.

Beethoven: Music is a symbol more important than knowledge or philosophy. Music is the art of people’s hearts’ languages and souls. It is the highest form of humans and the world’s beauty.

Hegel: That part that has a sense of belonging to music is the deepest part of every human’s soul. Music is a form of art particular to our soul and it directly addresses the soul.

Nietzsche: Every phenomenon in comparison to music is just a symbol.