Some people say they were “born to rock”—and as it turns out, that may not be hyperbole.
According to this article featured on WAAM’s Music Impact Research Center (MIRC), “infants as young as 2 days old can process pitch and tell if a series of notes are rising or falling in scale. And it is now known they have rhythm, too.”
The article describes a study using rock rhythm to discern whether newborns (and adults with no formal musical training) could perceive a beat or whether it’s something that is learned over time. The results indicate that we have an innate ability to understand music.
Researchers monitored the brain activity of the babies, which showed that when the rhythm was interrupted, the brain put out an error signal, suggesting it detected something was wrong.
This sparked further research on this phenomenon, published just this year—which, in addition to newborns, incorporated study on beat perception in monkeys to help determine the evolution of humans’ musicality. (Learn more about the findings in the researcher’s own words here.)
Another article in the MIRC shows that sound has the ability to promote insulin release in cells, which could have huge implications for people living with diabetes, who often have to boost their insulin levels via injection.
But not all “sound” was created equal. Queen’s bass-heavy hit “We Will Rock You” topped the charts for the most insulin-releasing stimulant in this study.
The researchers indicated that implementing this type of insulin-release system is “still a long way off” and requires further interest and study—but in general, it’s just incredible to think that rock ‘n’ roll has the potential to “take on the world [of health care] someday” in some really exciting ways.
About We Are All Music Foundation (WAAM):
The We Are All Music Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to improving lives and strengthening communities through the power of music. WAAM invests in research and data-driven programs that advance music’s positive impact on mental & physical health, education & social-emotional learning, and communities in need. For more information about the We Are All Music Foundation and its initiatives, visit https://weareallmusic.org/.
