Are we given a playlist at birth? New research confirms humans are born with a 'music blueprint'

Whether you’re a fan of the 90s pop or the trendy beats, music has been a part of our lives for centuries. However, it was always viewed as an extra, something man-made to enjoy and develop a liking for. Research published by Neuroscience News on March 12 revealed that these tunes are more closely tied to our biology than we think. 

Turns out, music isn’t just a preference; it is a hardwired aspect that stands on par with language in the human body. According to Brighter Side, music cognition professor Henkjan Honing revealed how two decades of research into cognition, psychology, and more showed not just favorability but a dedicated capacity for music.

Instead of looking at music as a part of culture or art, researchers studied the biological aspect — the musicality, a person’s ability to enjoy, produce, and process structured sound. The first experiment was observed on newborns and infants. Turns out, these tiny tots already start developing a preference for certain rhythmic patterns and sounds and have a liking towards certain melodies.

What’s more, they seemed to show a response towards music, pitch, and timing even before they understood words. It indicated that the musicality trait precedes that of speech.

“These abilities emerge spontaneously. Infants respond to rhythm and melody without being taught. That strongly suggests we are born with biological predispositions for musical structure,” Honing explained. Then comes "statistical universals.” Complex term, but think of how you’ve noticed many tunes from the 80s and 90s repeating in today’s trending pop songs.

Many artists are looking back on pitch, timing, and other factors, and fusing it with contemporary music. Why? It’s what works. It’s what the people love. And why is that? Because certain preferences have stood the test of time. 

“These similarities are unlikely to be accidents,” Honing said. These “universals” point to how our basic cognition reacts to sound and how different preferences later diversify it. The next bit of research was conducted on nonhuman primates to see if they showed any understanding of musicality. If they did, it was likely that this trait came from a common ancestor.

One instance of this experiment was practiced on trained macaque monkeys under a controlled laboratory setting. When a complex rhythm was played, they appeared to tap to it, as if they understood and were enjoying themselves. It suggested that they, too, comprehended rhythm, synchronization, and more. 

But even the cuckoo sings, so what does that tell us? Honing explained that musicality is judged not just on one factor but is a combination of multiple aspects, such as understanding of pitch, timing, interval, and so on. Each species has evolved in different ways and across different timelines.

“The evidence increasingly suggests that musicality is an ancient biological capacity, possibly predating language itself,” Honing suggested. He backed his claim with research on songbirds and marine animals that showed a couple of traits of musicality, but lack speech or language. 

A report from Statista revealed that over 50% of people between the ages of 18 and 24 and 40% of people between the ages of 25 and 34 years enjoyed listening to music and podcasts in the U.S. Audio and Pro reported that Gen Z consistently tops the music listening spree.

85% of those between the ages of 16 and 34 reported listening to online streaming music weekly. This number was more than double for those over the age of 54 and two-thirds of those aged between 35 and 54 years.

Edison Research found that for Gen Z, music is not just for the ears. Spending an average of four hours and 10 minutes listening to music every day, 86% of Gen Zers said it boosted their mood. 63% said it helped them through difficult times, and 61% confirmed it boosted their mental health.

What this means for us is that the metal, pop, jazz, classical, or any genre we vibe with comes from our inbuilt trait to recognize, respond to, and blend with the music. “We are, by nature, musical beings,” the professor concluded. The next time a song touches your heart, credit those biological traits too!

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