Results: Channeling Grief Into Music

Singer James Blunt recently debuted a new song from his recent album called "The Girl That Never Was" which tells the heartbreaking story of a child he and his wife lost. Although I have never gone through something this tragic, I would imagine losing a child is a pain that never goes away and Blunt conveys this perfectly with this song. If you listen to this song, does it affect you emotionally?

Music can convey emotions unlike any other medium. Maybe that's why when we feel sad music can lift our spirits, perhaps taking us back to a time when we had no worries at all. That might be the reason we tend to enjoy listening to music from our younger years. Do you have a particular song that never fails to cheer you up?

It has been proven scientifically that music actually produces a reaction in our brains. Listening to (or making) music increases blood flow to brain regions that generate and control emotions. The limbic system, which is involved in processing emotions and controlling memory, "lights" up when our ears perceive music. The chills you feel when you hear a particularly moving piece of music may be the result of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that triggers sensations of pleasure and well-being. As your brain becomes familiar with a particular song, your body may release dopamine upon hearing just the first few notes of the song. Were you aware of this?

There are some songs I simply can not listen to without tearing up. These songs are not about things I have experienced, or people I have lost; these songs are simply songs that affect me very strongly. There are a few, including Somewhere (from West Side Story), Monsters (again, from James Blunt, which actually does make me think of losing my parents), and this song from Les Misérables (Broadway musical). Do you have a song that always makes you tear up, or get emotional?