The Impact of Music on Self Confidence
My daughter comes in radiant. She just bought a new album for her record player. I can well imagine her joy. I remember how happy I was when I bought my very first album, Arrival by Abba. A long time ago, yes.
“What album did you buy?” I ask. “Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City by Kendrick Lamar,” she says enthusiastically. A conversation ensues about the influence of music on your mood and then she says: ‘Why is music so important in your adolescence? It probably also has to do with self-confidence.’
I look up in amazement, I have no idea. I never thought about music and self-confidence. But I see a starting point because music is emotion and self-confidence as well. My interest is piqued, and I open my laptop and start googling. Basically, it has the same impact as following a daily affirmation routine from affirmations websites.
Music helps with stress
Soon I come across an article by the Finnish scientist Suvi Saarikallio. I read that music helps with stress. No shortage of stress during puberty! So much is changing during this period. Physically but also socially and emotionally. A new school, new friends, a first part-time job, the first courtship. The stress of choice: which profile do you choose and which further education? And online: stress if you get few likes on Instagram.
The self-confidence built up in the years before comes under a lot of pressure.
Music helps with stress because it distracts, relaxes, and comforts. It gives us new energy and it makes us happy. Because while listening to music, dopamine is released in our body. Dopamine is a substance that belongs to the reward system of the brain. It is also released during eating, exercising, and making love. Now I understand why music is so important! And why it plays such an important role in puberty. It immediately explains the happy feeling when you hear your favorite song on the radio. And I understand why my daughter loves to go to music festivals. It’s just one big dopamine paradise!
Neuropsychologist Eric Scherder says about music: ‘Music is so good for your overall development. It touches you, it amazes you, and emotions bring back memories. It connects you to others. Music intervenes in the deepest structures of the brain. It is a primal psychophysiological mechanism of man.’
And does music also affect self-confidence?
Later in the article, Suvi Saarikallio describes the four psychological functions of music:
- it helps to develop an identity
- it helps in relationships
- it provides more grip
- it helps to control emotions
I think about how these four positions related to self-confidence.
Identity: Through music and your music preferences, you get to know yourself a little better. Self-knowledge is an important pillar of self-confidence and identity has to do with it.
ALSO READ: Doing Chores More Effectively with Music
Abba or Queen?
Although I have to say that my fan-being of Abba at the time caused a small dilemma. Because according to the Queen fans in my class, I couldn’t become a fan of Queen if I was already an Abba fan. You were either for Abba or for Queen. I found that a difficult one, because as a Queen fan, you were instantly tough. That attracted me. The image of an Abba fan, on the other hand, was well-behaved and girly. But really choose Queen? That went too far for me, then just good.
Relationships
Connection with other people feeds our self-confidence. Music is an easy topic of conversation. It’s nice when you find out that you both like hip-hop, for example. That immediately creates a bond.
Music shapes thoughts and emotions. Popular topics in music are important in puberty. Lyrics are often about love, sexuality, identity, and social changes. Music is felt as a personal friend. One that is always there for you and with whom you can always be yourself.
Mastering grip and emotions
If you can positively influence your own mood with music, then music is a nice ‘instrument’ to adjust your emotions. This adjustment gives a sense of competence and control. That feeling of control, of grip, is also a source of self-confidence.
I had forgotten how important music used to be to me. For the last few days, I have been acting like an adolescent. The music is on all the time and I search online for my old favorite songs. I make a playlist, bleed hard Purple Rain, and playback while I’m writing this. Delicious, that dopamine.
How important is music to you? And has music helped you form an identity? Do you use music to get in a different mood? I’m curious. Nice if you leave a comment below.
