JFS Student Journal

Ella has resubmitted her favourite article of the year slightly adapted so she can focus on her UCAS exams

It’s been a long day, you put on your headphones, your favourite song comes on. You smile, feel the rush of a good tune. And at that moment, the rest of the world fades to the periphery. Music’s magical essence puts us all under a spell of dance and shimmering lights. The universality of music makes it an excellent agent for expression and communication, transcending language barriers and culture. It’s no secret that music has a great impact on our lives: its influence extends from prenatal development to adolescence, to the obstacles of aging, impacting cognitive, emotional and social well-being. This is also evident in today’s enormous popularity of artists, the blasting of Christmas music every December – a tradition ingrained in society, and annual events like the Grammy’s. Since the beginning of time, music has had the undeniable ability to amplify our emotions, both positive and negative. Why else would directors choose to include a film soundtrack? It manipulates your emotions. The significance of this art form had already been acknowledged by the Ancient Greeks: Plato himself once said, “ Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” But how can we explain the powerful effect music elicits on the mind? How can something intangible make you feel so much? When it comes to complexity of the human brain, the answer is never straightforward.

The Beat

From Beethoven in the late 18th Century to Ariana Grande in the 21st, music has always been a prominent part of our lives, though has mutated and been reshaped over time. Music is multifaceted: it is made up of layers, including pitch, rhythm, dynamics and more. The Autonomic Nervous System has two primary pathways and are involved in homeostasis (self-regulation e.g. heart rate and breathing). Naturally, our bodies try to synchronize these internal rhythms with external stimuli, like music; this is known as ‘Rhythmic Entrainment’. On the micro level, ‘Neural Entrainment’ is an example of the internal synchronization of brainwave activity where oscillations align to the frequency of melodic beats. Songs that have faster tempos (over 120 bpm) are inclined to increase heart rate and adrenaline due to triggering the sympathetic pathway, which tends to make us feel energised, excited or even slightly anxious. Contrastingly, feelings of sadness, peace or reflection are induced by slower songs (under 76 bpm) which decrease heart rate, muscle tension and cortisol levels (the stress hormone) stimulated by the parasympathetic pathway. Famous examples of songs include: “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd – 171 bpm and “Someone Like You" by Adele (67 bpm). Besides the tempo, other elements also influence the way our bodies react to harmonies. For instance, the Zeigarnik Effect is the concept that it is easier for the brain to remember incomplete sequences than completed ones which subconsciously makes us need closure. This triggers an “earworm” which results in the brain replaying the song on loop. This is one of the major psychological reasons why music can be so ‘catchy’.

The Brain

Music can run through our veins. Scientifically speaking, blood flow is increased to the brain regions that control emotion. Deciphering sound is complicated, but this is a limited glimpse into the science behind the beat. Music penetrates our hearts because it has links with limbic system (the brains emotional hub, specifically the mesolimbic pathway controlling the brains reward system, encouraging positive emotions). The hippocampus and amygdala are parts of the brain that play a major role in triggering emotional responses through memory. Simultaneously, the auditory cortex analyses the composition of sound and the prefrontal cortex controls our behaviour and decision-making when we take part in musical activities. Together with other parts of the brain like the Basal Ganglia & Motor Cortex, these structures process the beat and involuntarily cause physical responses like foot-tapping. The marvel, “emotional contagion” describes how we are infected by songs, catching the emotions they bear. This is seen when we listen to upbeat songs that make us feel pleased and melancholic pieces that can conjure introspection. Finally, the release of dopamine (a neurotransmitter that kindles delight, motivation and movement), is often released during climactic musical moments and even in the parts leading up to them. That’s why your brain rewards you with the feeling of a subtle rush when you hear the starting notes of a familiar song – it knows best part is coming!

Medical Impacts:

Why is this important? You may ask. Now that we’ve tuned into the brains response to music, we can explore its implications in modern medicine. Music is a non-pharmacological intervention that seems promising in clinical advances, showing clear potential for both physical and mental health. Due to its intricate relationship with our brains, music may be revolutionary for individuals suffering neurological disorders like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease; Dementia for instance is when the brain regions synchronisation deteriorates and Magnetoencephalography (MEG) scans show that music can rewire these damaged networks. Structured by individual requirements and cultural background, music therapy sessions can improve motor skills, memory, attention, speech, socialisation (due to relase of the ‘love hormone’ oxytocin, a neuropeptide that when stimulated can increase social bonding) and mood. This nurtures neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to structurally modify in response to experiences or injuries) and supports cognitive rehabilitation. Research has demonstrated the power of melody and how familiar sounds have revived the movement of former dancers – this is just one example of how music has optimized therapeutic application in healthcare. Studies revealed by the ‘Dementia Community’ revealed that consistent music listening reduces the risk of developing dementia by 39%. Music also provides emotional support and ultimately promotes tranquillity: it sparks the release of endorphins which perform as the body's natural painkiller, generating feelings of euphoria and raising pain thresholds. This is imperative for pain management as it dilutes patients perception of pain, distracting them and thus assisting those suffering from various psychological strains such as trauma, emotional distress and grief. It can also accommodate the emotional needs of patients undergoing intense treatment. Additionally, music therapy can reduce anxiety and depression, triggering a crucial improvement in quality of life. This is seen via the MELODIC (Music therapy Embedded in the Life Of Dementia Inpatient Care) initiative backed by the NHS that curates personalised music care plans to reduce agitation and suffering in dementia patients.

Social Impacts:

Mother’s sing lullabies to their newborns, children learn speech through memorable melodies like ‘Mary had a Little Lamb’, we sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to mark the completion of another year of living, we dance to celebrate our wedding day and may play music on the deathbeds of our loved ones. It’s the cycle of life, and music echoes in the background of every milestone -  “Music is the soundtrack of your life.” Dick Clark once said. Music’s emotional resonance makes it the ideal tool to grasp our attention. Because music is uniquely palpable, it can bond people and cultivate a sense of unity and belonging. I know I’ve definitely made friends through shared interests in music; you could create friendships through the experience of being in a choir, band, or in my case, just having a love for karaoke! Music enables freedom of expression and can be extremely cathartic and liberating in releasing any pent up feelings that you may have. Besides alleviating stress, music is clearly a universal language for communication; it gives us an outlet to convey our thoughts and feelings but also to relate to others or feel heard through lyricism. Also, learning an instrument exercises the brain, causing it to structurally adapt and enhance the way we process information. Basically, music makes you smarter! 

Nostalgia:

Neurology and nostalgia “collab” all the time. Between the ages of 12 and 22, our brains develop quickly and combined with the effect of growth hormones, music tends to leave a mark on our teenage years. Our brains are stimulated by different elements of music’s composition, this means that the more we replay a song, the more it gets ingrained into us and gives us neurochemical bliss. Did you know that your favourite songs on repeat trigger some of the same neurotransmitters that narcotic drugs chase after – turns out they’re both highly addictive! As a result, specific memories get attached to specific tunes, that are reignited in the later moments when they are heard. Even as the significance of a memory fades, an ‘emotional afterglow’ is tagged to the music that lingers, like a letter from the past captured in a bottle, thrown out to sea and resurfacing in a surge of the tides of time. This is known as ‘episodic memory’, when a song heard during a life event will evoke the same feelings later. I’m lucky to have been able to attend a concert; in the months leading to the event, I listened to the same songs on repeat, many that accompanied an intense period of studying, exams and thus emotions. Now, when I listen to those songs, I am transported back to a dim-lit, hazy recollection of those times. In retrospect, I see an innocent, romanticised era. I feel nostalgic.

I’m sure you have a favourite song. A song you listen to for motivation, for a confidence boost. A song that makes you reminisce. A song that makes you melancholy or one that simply makes you merry. Well, the next time you put on your headphones, perhaps you will recognise the reasons it affects you in this way. The beauty in the art of song is that it is a part of our identity and gifts us comfort when we need it most. So I ask you, what is the soundtrack to your life right now?

Many are quick to criticise Gen Z as the perpetuator of celebrity obsession: a generation fixated on parasocial relationships and prioritising curated personalities over true merit. Some note this as a modern phenomenon, a regressive paradigm shift or even a cultural decline. But what if I told you that celebrity culture is not a modern concept, but rather something that dates back hundreds of years ago?

Restoration England (1660-) was an eruption of gossip, fashion and superficiality. During years of Civil War and Puritan rule (1649-1660) creative freedom was tightly suppressed; so once King Charles II returned to throne in 1660 a cultural revolution was inevitable. Almost immediately, all theatres that had closed under Oliver Cromwell reopened creating a new Britain that fostered entertainment, spectacle and a unique form of performance where adoration extended beyond the character and onto the actor.  With the first female actresses, such as Nell Gwyn and Elizabeth Barry, serving as cultural icons, theatres quickly evolved into a real-life manifestation of Instagram. People would attend theatres explicitly to see their favourite actors and the boundary between public and private life became increasingly undefined.

Works such as ‘Widow Ranter’, ‘The Country Wife’ and ‘A Satyr Against Reason and Mankind’ are considered cornerstones of Restoration Literature. However, time period is not the only thing that unites these texts. Rather, Restoration literature is defined by its use of satire, extremity, and, most significantly, drama. Together, they define Restoration literature as a genre driven by performance, exaggeration, and critique, ringing clear bells with the dynamics of modern celebrity culture. In both, public image is performed, amplified, and constantly judged by an audience hungry for more despite how false the narratives may be.

No one embodied this intersection between artistic ability and public fascination more completely than Aphra Behn. Behn established somewhat of a pathway for modern icons such as Beyoncé, Serena Williams and Anne Hathaway to thrive. She demonstrated how you can be appreciated both for your immense talent and publicity and how one does not cancel out the other. Her reputation as a bold, politically outspoken female playwright, with notable works including ‘Oroonoko,’ made her both admired and intensely scrutinised. Her name, separate from her works, carried much cultural weight meaning audiences responded not only to her writing but her fresh, feminine persona. From paper to screen, fame fosters an impossible paradox where women are expected to appear authentic while simultaneously performing a version of themselves for public consumption.  Highlighting a deeply entrenched pattern whereby public figures, frequently women, are not valued purely for skill but their personal life - a notion more commonly known as celebrity culture.

Though this behaviour manifested differently in the seventeenth century, largely due to the absence of screens and digital media. It instead thrived through coffee houses, word-of-mouth discussion, and the circulation of pamphlets helped cultivate public fascination with famous figures. The Restoration did not simply revive theatre but rather reshaped it, allowing personal and artistic achievement to become closely intertwined creating the very foundations of celebrity culture that survive today.

The Cold War was a period of tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union lasting from 1947 to 1991. Even though it didn't involve actual fighting, they went head-to-head through politics, building nuclear weapons, technological advancement and global influence. The Cold war began after World War II, when the USA and the Soviet Union had been allies against Nazi Germany. Yet, as soon as the dust settled on WW2 the differences between the two powers were impossible to ignore.

Their conflict mostly came from opposing views on government systems. The USA had democracy and capitalism, while the Soviets were Communist. They both thought their way was superior and tried to spread it.  After World War II, Europe split into two camps: democratic Western Europe, while the Soviet Union controlled and funded the east, thus creating the Iron Curtain.  For safety, western nations created NATO in 1949. The Soviets reacted with the Warsaw Pact in 1955.

The Berlin Blockade in 1948 showed what the tensions could cause during the Cold War.  Stalin, the Soviet leader, tried to nudge the Western powers out of Germanys capital, Berlin, by obstructing roads and rail routes into the city. However, rather than conceding, the US and Britain started flying in supplies, which was known as the Berlin Airlift. They didn't back down, and eventually, Stalin relented and removed the blockade.

A scary side to the Cold  War  was the Nuclear Arms Race. The superpowers pumped loads of money into creating nuclear weapons, leaving people worried that war could level cities and kill millions of people . The standoff led to something called Mutually Assured Destruction if one side attacked, the other would retaliate, making full-out conflict too terrifying to actually act on. The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 brought tension to new heights. The Soviets stealthily positioned nuclear missiles in Cuba, just off America's coast. Once detected by US reconnaissance, President Kennedy declared these weapons had to go. The world held its breath for thirteen days, dreading a nuclear conflict, but fortunately, an agreement was reached, and peace came.

During the Cold War, there was also a great competition in science and technology. In 1957 the Soviet Union made history building Sputnik, the very first satellite to orbit Earth. The Russians sent Yuri Gagarin into space, the first human to do so. The US were motivated and started funding for space exploration. They succeed when Neil Armstrong took those famous steps on the Moon in 1969.

Though the US and Soviet Union avoided fighting face-to-face, they backed opposite sides in many conflicts worldwide, such as the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

By the 1980s, the Soviet economy was struggling badly. When Mikhail Gorbachev took charge in 1985, he tried some reforms. Things really started shifting in 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell. This event marked the end of communist rule in Eastern Europe. Soon enough, in 1991, the Soviet Union disbanded into various separate nations, officially ending the Cold War.