How to Use Music to Boost Motivation, Mood & Improve Learning | Huberman Lab Podcast

In this episode, I describe how your brain and body are fundamentally wired to perceive and respond to music and how those responses can be leveraged to improve your mood, allow for processing sad emotions and enhance learning and performance. I explain the data showing how music can increase motivation for cognitive or physical work, what specific music has been shown to enhance cognitive performance, and whether silence or music is more effective in enhancing focus while studying. I also discuss how specific musical pieces can rapidly reduce anxiety, as well as certain prescription medications. I explain how listening to certain types of music can improve various health metrics (e.g., heart rate). Finally, I discuss how music helps to enhance neuroplasticity (rewiring of brain connections), thereby improving learning and memory. Whether you sing, play an instrument or enjoy listening to music, this episode provides numerous science-informed tools for using music to enhance productivity, mood, emotional states, and overall enjoyment of life.

#HubermanLab #Science #Music

Thank you to our sponsors

The Brain Body Contract
Code: "Huberman"

Social & Website

Articles

Other Resources

Timestamps
00:00:00 Music & Your Brain
00:03:32 The Brain Body Contract
00:04:12 Sponsors: Eight Sleep & ROKA
00:07:09 Music & Emotions; Brain & Body Interpretation
00:13:03 Music & Intent; Babies, Music & Movement
00:19:19 Tool: Health Metrics & Music, Breathing & Heart Rate
00:29:54 Sponsor: AG1
00:30:50 Music, Brain & Predictions
00:38:07 Music & Brain: Novelty, Arousal, Memories
00:44:22 Tool: Movement; Motivation & Faster Music
00:50:49 Tool: Cognitive Work & Binaural Beats
00:54:11 Silence or Music for Studying?, White Noise, Binaural Beats
00:58:47 Tool: Retain Information & Internal Dialogue
01:00:53 Tool: Focus, Work Breaks & Music
01:04:11 Physical Exercise, Performance & Music
01:07:37 Sponsor: InsideTracker
01:08:43 Music & Shifting Mood
01:14:41 “Happy” vs. “Sad” Music, “One-Hit Wonders” & Artificial Intelligence
01:19:30 “Bass Face”; Music, Movement & Facial Expressions
01:22:46 Tools: Shift to Happy Mood with Music; Sad Mood Catharsis
01:27:30 Tool: Music & Reducing Anxiety, “Weightless”
01:31:16 Playing Instruments, Singing & Brain Connectivity
01:39:58 Music & the Brain
01:42:14 Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

[enaldooliveira]

Hello Dr. Huberman. I am Dr. Enaldo Oliveira, conductor and Pedagogue specialist in String Teaching. Thank you very much for your speech. I have dedicated my career on teaching string instruments (violin, viola, cello and double bass) to students here at Brazil. I have taught students from slums and also students who committed acts against the law. In your talk, you addressed topics that I have been thinking about for the last 30 years, but I did not have a scientific basis on the subject. A few years ago, I inserted meditation exercises, mindfulness, breathing, yoga, Pa-kua, etc., at the beginning of my classes, as a strategy to improve student learning. Right now, I'm trying to learn about neuroscience to write about this experience relating music, meditative practices and relaxation, and the action and relationship of this with the brain. My goal is to publish so that I can draw the attention of governments in Brazil, so that music can be included as a subject in schools and be part of the education of Brazilians. There is no music teaching in formal schools here. I have always advocated that we don't ask our children if they want to study mathematics. For everything you described about the benefits of learning to play an instrument, we shouldn't ask children if they want to study an instrument. Everyone should learn music to improve the performance of the neural system and the learning tools of all other academic disciplines. I would like to talk to you more about this. Congratulations on your work and gratitude for sharing it with us. Att. Dr. Enaldo Oliveira.

[SavagePrisonerSP]

I just recently quit alcohol. Everytime I get a craving, or a feeling of anxious, sadness, etc. I will stop everything I'm doing, lay down and listen to some chill piano. This has helped me tremendously in dealing with my out-of-wack emotions and withdrawal symptoms. It's nice to hear the method backed by science!

[iMacXX]

I think I'm speaking for everyone. We all have been waiting for music episodes. Nothing but gratefullness for you Dr. Huberman. It changes lives.

[sandytoye]

Thank you, Professor Huberman, for taking on this most important subject. You are about to embark down a road that will change your life forever and have nearly as much impact as Costello did. (I do not say that lightly. Animals saved my life. My first career was practicing Animal Law). Once you begin learning your instrument (whatever it may be), you will start to see a path. You will start to see the mystery and magic but also the innate structure music has within us first hand. It will take some time so please don’t give up (if it is guitar just know your callouses will develop and the pain will subside). We need you. From this side of it. I only started my real study of music (and playing instruments) post retirement from my practice of law. It is completely doable as an adult. Five minutes a night is all it takes to start. Just don’t give up. Make it as important as teeth brushing. And soon you will not be able to go to sleep without it. This is not to say that one must play an instrument to understand it’s impact but it may help you have a deeper understanding and connection to help you process the vast array of information that will soon flood you. It may also help you with your experts and enable you to continue to enlighten the rest of us. I have studied at length the mathematics of music (9 minutes!? Ha! Not at all surprised!) which is a subject onto itself. But what I am most interested in learning from your podcast is the physiological impact music has on us*, which you have so generously touched upon and have already given us actionable tools. Thank you! But there is so much more. My understanding is that frequencies can change us. You touched on this with the babies and how certain types of songs create a senses of happiness or sadness. What I am excited to learn from your future podcasts are the physiological impact sound waves have when entering our bodies (not just our ears). My understanding is that sound waves move more efficiently in mass than air and have even been known to make patterns in bodies of water and geometric shapes in sand. See Chladni Patterns. So what does this mean for us? How is it we all innately understand dissonance and consonance? How does it move our bodies and how impactful are different frequencies? I believe there is a professor in Michigan using high frequency sound waves to kill cancer cells. The list is seemingly endless. But I will stop here. Thank you! Thank you for all of your podcasts, for deciding to buckle down at UCSB and for going on to grad school. Thank you for becoming a scientist and deciding to make the world a better place by providing real information with real actionable tools and protocols. And thank you for being a scientist who truly respects the sentient nature of animals. You are forever my hero. With so much gratitude, Sandy limited to humans.

[KaleidoscopeMath]

I absolutely love how Mr. Huberman lights up during this podcast. It’s clear he loves the topic and has a tremendous respect for it. ❤

[Photik]

0:37: 🎵 Music is a neurological phenomenon that activates nearly every part of our brain and body.
8:25: 🎵 Music can describe and evoke emotions with a tremendous degree of nuance.
17:08: 🎶 Babies as young as three months old respond to music with rhythmic movements of their limbs and torso.
25:07: 💓 Deliberately inhaling with vigor increases heart rate, while deliberately exhaling slows down heart rate due to respiratory sinus arrhythmia.
33:45: 🎵 Listening to music activates different neural circuits in the brain and body, leading to specific reactions and increased motivation.
41:26: 🧠 The video discusses the brain areas involved in the release of dopamine and the activation of the amygdala when listening to music.
49:22: 💪 Listening to music before exercising or doing cognitive work can increase motivation.
56:45: 🎵 Listening to instrumental music with a faster tempo (140-150 beats per minute) can enhance cognitive work.
1:04:31: ! The impact of listening to music during physical exercise is highly individual and varies based on the type of exercise.
1:12:31: 🎶 Approximately 82% of people listen to music to make themselves happy, 46.5% listen to process emotions, and 32.5% listen to increase concentration.
1:21:01: 🎶 The circuit of neurons that goes from our ears to our brain impacts our emotions, motivation, and propensity to move, and is fundamental to communication.
1:29:23: 😌 Listening to the song 'Weightless' by Marconi Union can reduce anxiety and induce relaxation.
1:37:40: 🎵 Learning an instrument or how to sing increases connectivity in the brain and enhances various brain circuits.
Recap by Tammy AI

[jopo]

Just like music, Andrew's podcast strikes a chord with everyone.

[me]

My training is in classical music, but I find myself gravitating to different genres depending on what I want to do. Music really does set the mood for what I do, to the point where I make playlists oriented towards the tasks I work on. And I am 100% sure that other people do this too, because it just makes sense.

[Churro_Flaminguez]

As a longtime semi-pro musician and producer, this will be a fantastic episode, I'm sure. Thank you Mr. Huberman for your work as always.

[TheListeningParty_TLP]

I’ve watched many of your podcasts, here you seem extra energized and happy just talking about MUSIC. Best of luck on your musical instrument adventure.

[moonstrukk]

Music connected me to the depths of my broken heart and helped me heal, grieve and produced euphoria without drugs and alcohol.

[Tyler-iufu]

My granddaughter was born last November and was a very unsettled newborn. She spent several days quite unwell in NICU but was discharged home well. To settle her in the first weeks at the times when she was crying unconsolably, we tried different songs and typical baby songs and the ones that worked, while being rocked and danced around was Pogues Fairytale of New York, and Billy Joel Piano Man. Those two got the strongest response from her. As soon as it started she stopped crying and looked wide eyed and calm. It was like magic!

[whatwouldjesusdrive]

What a time to be alive this is like why we sleep or breathe, a deep insight with easily doable actions on a subject most people engage every day but never think about. For free and meticulously well organised and presented. Thank you for this awesome contribution to humanity

[yayayayayyayyayay]

My favorite episode so far. I'm biased as an audio engineer and music producer but I think everyone can relate to the power of music. I cannot wait for the deep dive into frequency ratios and specific emotions. Thank you for making this!

[HighLifeWorkout]

The 16:30 mark explains the reaction I used to get from my Son when I used to sing to him and play guitar 🎸 wile he was in his crib 😊

[kennycarmodyd]

"Music and the Brain" - an exquisite harmony of science and art! 🎶 All of your series have been my guiding symphony through the last year to learn more about the wonders of the human body, our brain, our consciousness etc. and now an very inspiring topic which is music's connection to our minds and its mathematical precision. Thank you for all you do, Mr. Huberman, for orchestrating these enlightening episodes. I'd be thrilled and honored to share my own musical studies on the brain with you one day . 🎵🧠🔬 Keep the melodies of knowledge flowing! 🙌

[MrFn]

As a musician I am eager to hear Andrew’s research on the Science of music and it’s been great so far as I’m 15 minutes into it! Keep up the great work Andrew!

[walter]

Humberman is god! Not only is he extremely bright but hes well spoke and really makes you understand what hes saying no matter what your level of education is. Well done sir

[theresahope]

Music and coffee are my most reliable dopamine boosters! And so are, as of recently, dr Huberman's podcasts. What an exciting topic you've chosen, Professor! It was simply delightful to listen to this podcast and learn a few more things about the brain's functioning. Thank you for sharing your time and knowledge with us!

[fernandabermejo]

I wake up And I put Rosalia, dance and sing to her music and the day is ON.
Singing and dancing without anyone listening or seeing you is something that I found to be Deeply healing and energizing.
Sunshine + Rosalia + Mate + excersise, the best way I found to start myself.