Listening to music has long been used to evoke emotion. We all have our favorite sad song or happy song, we hum along in the car, we even sing in the shower. Beyond listening to music for enjoyment, you can improve brain function using music. Listening therapy uses specifically modulated music to do this.
Whether classical, instrumental or vocal, the music used in listening therapy programs is altered in a variety of ways for therapeutic effect. For example, a child with a reading problem or difficulty with language, may listen to specific tracks of music that emphasize what is called the language zone, 750 4,000 Hz, to improve the perception and discrimination of the sounds of language necessary for decoding and phonemic awareness. These skills are essential for reading proficiency.
We know that music and language use the same neurological pathways. The rapidly changing sounds and variations in pitch within music improve processing speed, a major stumbling block for many people with dyslexia, auditory processing, attention and listening difficulties.
Since the basis of a listening therapy is sound, most commonly music, most programs include the full sound spectrum of 20 Hz 20,000 Hz. A more tailored program designed to target the identified goals will also include tracks where specific frequencies of the music are emphasized to reinforce the neural network associated with these goals.
Another way music is modulated for listening therapy is by emphasizing certain frequencies. This may be done in several ways, such as slightly boosting the volume levels of desired frequencies.