What is music?

Chapter I. "Music should...".

The great Ludwig van Beethoven once said: “Music should strike fire from the heart of man, and bring tears from the eyes of woman…”.

It's amazing, isn't it: when you feel down, it would be more logical to seek comfort in cheerful tunes, yet we unconsciously prefer sad melodies. What guides us at such moments? What happens in the hidden corners of our being when we immerse ourselves in a particular rhythm?

One song breathes indomitable energy into us; another mercilessly exposes wounds when we are already broken; and a third, as if by magic, beautifies an already wonderful day. Why are our musical preferences so unique and why do they transform over the years?

Chapter II. Dopamine. Prolactin... .

Dopamine. When we hear a pulsating rhythm, triumphant major chords, or a favorite motif, the brain generously rewards us with dopamine — the hormone of anticipation and delight. It is this that gives rise to that intoxicating feeling of omnipotence that "strikes fire" and awakens in us the desire to move mountains.

Prolactin. Here lies the key to the paradox: why in moments of sadness do we seek out sad music. When we feel bad, the brain prepares for real pain and begins to produce prolactin — a comfort hormone designed to help us cope with the bitterness of loss. By listening to a melancholic melody, we gently "deceive" our own consciousness. It releases healing prolactin, even though there is no real reason for deep suffering at the moment. As a result, we gain pure psychological relief, a bright catharsis, bypassing the need to experience a real tragedy.

Chapter III. How does music "sculpt" the brain?

Remarkably, music occupies far more space in the halls of our mind than even articulate speech. It activates almost all sections: from the cerebellum to the prefrontal cortex.

Moreover, music literally reshapes the architecture of our consciousness. In professional musicians, the corpus callosum — the bridge connecting the hemispheres — becomes thicker, and the density of gray matter in areas responsible for hearing and motor skills significantly increases.

Our mind is a grand piano with billions of neural keys. Music acts as a skillful tuner who touches this instrument, building new connections and making it sound flawless.

Chapter IV. There's no accounting for taste.

But if biochemistry is structured similarly in all people, why does one find long-awaited peace in heavy rock, while another finds it in classical music? At this stage, sound meets the unique pattern of our personality and neurotype.

Our musical preferences are a sounding "psychological self-portrait". Research from Cambridge University proves that our choices are not accidental:

• Empaths (those who keenly feel others' pain) are drawn to soft, emotionally rich music. In it, they seek deep empathy.
• Systematizers (people with a predominant analytical mindset) enjoy complex sound architecture: from Bach's polyphony to electronic music.

Music serves as a mirror of our "Self". We look for confirmation of what we feel in the chords. And if sometimes it seems to us that a sad song "finishes us off" in moments of longing, in reality, it performs a crucial mission. It takes us by the hand and accompanies us to the very emotional bottom — only so that we can firmly push off from it and begin our ascent.

"Why do we fall... so we can learn to pick ourselves up" - Alfred to Bruce Wayne

Chapter V. How does our playlist mature?

Our musical tastes are not a form cast in bronze, but a living, breathing process that develops along with us.

• Teenage period (14–20 years old): During this time, the brain possesses maximum plasticity. Music that becomes the soundtrack to this period is remembered almost for life. This is our standard, a harbor to which we will return for the rest of our lives.
• Adulthood: Our attitude changes, and we begin to use melodies more functionally — as background for work concentration, as a lullaby for sleep, or as a bridge for switching between complex social roles.
• Transformation: A genuine shift in musical desires at 30, 40, or 50 years old is always a clear signal of internal restructuring. We begin to seek new harmonies precisely when old chords stop resonating with our matured, changed personality.

Epilogue.

So what is music? It is the only possible way to express emotions beyond words. A way to look at the world from a different angle. To say everything — without saying anything. Music... it is everywhere and always, we only have to choose which string of the soul we want to pluck this time?