The Secret Health Benefits of Concert Attendance

Music makes people dance and sing. Tapping a toe or an entire foot seems the right thing to do when a melody snakes out of musical instruments and slithers across the dance hall.

Gotta move when the music is right

As far back as the 6th Century B.C., the Greek mathematician, Pythagoras, rightfully determined the numerical relationships between strings that produced tones at different pitches. Yeah, this is the same guy that has haunted high school students with his famous (or infamous if you struggled to remember  it) Pythagorean Theorem. It stated that the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.

What are you trying to prove?

Understanding the various notes made by stringed instruments seemed a lot easier for people to handle as they jumped, danced, and drank around bonfires or carried burning torches on feast days.

You got to move it - move it!

The history of music and dance begins eons in the past. From the Brazilian rainforests to the hinterlands of the Kalahari desert, people have sang, played music and danced as a way to feel better about themselves and others. It restored the vitality of life after a cold winter or the end of the rainy season. In Medieval Europe there were countless danses macabres as a way to ward off diseases like the Black Plague. The only problem with this venture that some of the dancers actually died from exhaustion - but let's put that one on the back burner for now.

I'm sorry, but I think I'll sit this dance out.

Historical records are rich with these revelations of how humans have enjoyed the mysterious sounds of music and the potential health benefit music has on the person and their soul.

Thus the point of this blog.

According to a 2016 study out of Australia from Deakin University - regular attendees of musical concerts had an improved sense of mental well-being and were happier than those others in the study who did not attend concerts.

Can't argue with the Aussies when they can do this.

MusicOOMPH - quite a catchy title for an online magazine detailed twenty-two reasons why attending live musical events can actually be healthy for a person. We've decided to mention our favorite six in this blog - not that the others aren't as important but we like these the best and it is our blog.

#1. Lose calories - Dancing can burn over 400 calories per hour and with thousands of your best unknown friends dancing near you, it is contagious. Move your feet and shake whatever you have and burn up those calories while toning your legs. What a great way to get in shape.

#2. Stress Reduction - Musical performances decrease the release of cortisol, a chemical known as the stress hormone. Not only does the stress level go down but so does the blood pressure. Gyrating and grinding in front of the stage has health all over it.

#3. Change your mood to a more positive state of mind - come on, that's a no brainer. Moving and grooving with a loved one to live music makes a person feel strong and sexy (they may not look like it to others but it's what being thought within the individuals head that counts). I can dance so I can conquer the world - yeah, baby!

#4. Relieves Pain - yep, Dr. Steven Eisenburg from San Diego stated that listening to music can proactively produce an analgesic effect and actually can reduce pain levels in a person. And who is going to argue with a doctor from San Diego?

#5. Improves a person's general sense of well-being. If you can dance non-stop for a two-hour concert - not only are you sweaty and stinky, but feeling great that you were able to do it. A psychological success that releases endorphins which are the key ingredients of feeling super-duper.

#6. Meet your favorites - Musicians have fans and those fans want to meet them, and what better place than a concert? Meeting backstage may be possible for some big bucks (or even better luck) but just to see the musician on stage is enough. Souvenirs from the concert are reminders that we did something unique and that is always a great feeling.

So, John and Laureen took all of the above and visited the Laughlin Event Center late in October to see one of our favorite singers - Sir Rod Stewart.

He took the stage and took the audience with him with two hours of old favorites and some new songs from his latest album.

Seventy-three years old and he moved about the stage like time had forgotten about him, with perhaps the slight exception that he was limping like crazy. Sir Rod explained that he had injured himself quite badly while playing futbol with his children recently.

Sir Rod Stewart ready to throw out some futbols to the audience

The show must go on and so did Stewart - He 'Maggie-Mayed' and 'If you think I'm Sexy'd' all over the outdoor theater. Thunderous applause, hoots, hollers, singing along with the lyrics, and yes, much dancing was the order of the evening.

Rod Stewart moving across the stage

Dancing and more Dancing

Hobbling or not - Stewart looked pretty happy and healthy

And like all the research for this blog - the facts are the facts. Two hours and both bloggers felt tired but extremely healthy and alive.

Music may be the best medicine after all.

For further information on this topic.

http://www.rodstewart.com/

https://musicoomph.com/live-concert-benefits

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0305735616659552