By Jack Robert Stacey | Editor-in-Chief  
Music is an artform that has been at the cornerstone of life and culture throughout human history. The worldÔÇÖs oldest melody, ÔÇÿHurrain Hymn No. 6ÔÇÖ, was inscribed on a clay tablet that dates back 4,000 years to the Sumerian Empire. Even earlier still, archaeologists have discovered primitive instruments composed of bone and ivory that may have been used by neanderthal tribes up to 60,000 years ago.
With such a broad range of different artists, genres, moods, and styles to choose from, music is perhaps one of the most personal and experiential artforms.
On its most base level, as the Encyclopaedia Britannica notes, ÔÇÿmusicÔÇÖ can be understood as the combination of ÔÇÿvocal or instrumental sounds for beauty of form or emotional expressionÔÇÖ ÔÇô For many people, however, it is so much more than this.
The significant, yet little understood role that music plays was echoed by the late Aretha Franklin, who recognised that, ÔÇ£music does a lot of things for a lot of people. ItÔÇÖs transporting, for sure. It can take you right back, years back, to the very moment certain things happened in your life. ItÔÇÖs uplifting, itÔÇÖs encouraging, itÔÇÖs strengthening.ÔÇØ
Rather interestingly, recent studies into the mental and physical health benefits of music have indicated that there might actually be something more behind the so-called ÔÇÿpowerÔÇÖ of music.
As part of a 2001 study by McGill University in Montreal, researchers discovered that listening to music increases the amount of dopamine produced in the brain and, therefore, may prove to be a suitable treatment for some forms of depression in the future ÔÇô a significant finding behind the continued growth of the so-called ÔÇÿmusic therapyÔÇÖ movement.
Alongside these mental benefits, listening to music can reportedly ease physical pain and, as demonstrated in a study into those recovering from operations, may make patients likely to request pain medication.
With these recent scientific findings, we are coming closer to understanding the possible future applications of ÔÇÿmusic therapyÔÇÖ and, perhaps more critically, the positive influence or ÔÇÿpowerÔÇÖ that music holds.
Mae cerddoriaeth yn ffurf ar gelf sydd wedi bod yng nghonglfaen bywyd a diwylliant trwy gydol hanes dyn. Alaw hynaf y byd, ÔÇÿHurrain Hymn Na. Cafodd 6 ÔÇÖ, ei arysgrifio ar dabled clai syÔÇÖn dyddioÔÇÖn ├┤l 4, 000 o flynyddoedd iÔÇÖr Ymerodraeth Sumerian. Hyd yn oed yn gynharach fyth, mae archeolegwyr wedi darganfod offerynnau cyntefig sy’n cynnwys asgwrn ac ifori a allai fod wedi cael eu defnyddio gan lwythau neanderthalaidd hyd at 60,000 o flynyddoedd yn ├┤l.
Gydag ystod mor eang o wahanol artistiaid, genres, hwyliau, ac arddulliau i ddewis ohonynt, efallai mai cerddoriaeth yw un o’r ffurfiau celf mwyaf personol a phrofiadol.
Ar ei lefel fwyaf sylfaenol, fel y nodaÔÇÖr Gwyddoniadur Britannica, gellir deall ÔÇÿcerddoriaethÔÇÖ fel y cyfuniad o ÔÇÿsynau lleisiol neu offerynnol ar gyfer harddwch ffurf neu fynegiant emosiynolÔÇÖ – I lawer o bobl, fodd bynnag, mae cymaint yn fwy na hyn.
Adleisiwyd y r├┤l arwyddocaol, ond ychydig yn ddealladwy y mae cerddoriaeth yn ei chwarae gan y diweddar Aretha Franklin, a oedd yn cydnabod bod ÔÇ£cerddoriaeth yn gwneud llawer o bethau i lawer o bobl. Mae’n cludo, yn sicr. Gall fynd ├ó chi reit yn ├┤l, flynyddoedd yn ├┤l, i’r eiliad iawn y digwyddodd rhai pethau yn eich bywyd. Mae’n ddyrchafol, mae’n galonogol, mae’n cryfhau.ÔÇØ
Yn ddiddorol iawn, mae astudiaethau diweddar i fuddion meddyliol a chorfforol cerddoriaeth wedi nodi y gallai fod rhywbeth mwy y tu ├┤l iÔÇÖr hyn a elwir yn ÔÇÿbwerÔÇÖ cerddoriaeth.
Fel rhan o astudiaeth yn 2001 gan Brifysgol McGill ym Montreal, darganfu ymchwilwyr fod gwrando ar gerddoriaeth yn cynyddu faint o dopamin a gynhyrchir yn yr ymennydd a, felly, efallai y bydd yn driniaeth addas ar gyfer rhai mathau o iselder yn y dyfodol – canfyddiad sylweddol y tu ├┤l i dwf parhaus y mudiad ÔÇÿtherapi cerddÔÇÖ fel yÔÇÖi gelwir.
Ochr yn ochr ├ó’r buddion meddyliol hyn, gall gwrando ar gerddoriaeth leddfu poen corfforol ac, fel y dangosir mewn astudiaeth i’r rhai sy’n gwella ar ├┤l llawdriniaethau, gall wneud cleifion yn debygol o ofyn am feddyginiaeth poen.
With these recent scientific findings, we are coming closer to understanding the possible future applications of ÔÇÿmusic therapyÔÇÖ and, perhaps more critically, the positive influence or ÔÇÿpowerÔÇÖ that music holds.
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