There are so many benefits that come from music. Our brains function on a higher level and more effectively when listening to music. Social communication increases. Music helps students perform at their best as it helps with memory and cognitive functioning. It helps people destress and decompress from stressful days. It soothes away stressors and positively impacts lives.
The most common music recently used for therapy, de-stressing and for memory improvement is lo-fi. Recent studies suggest that lo-fi music may have an impact on brain functioning. Considering the numerous studies solidifying the connection between classical music and cognitive abilities, we can imagine that lo-fi music added to classical music has an added benefit. Lo-fi stands for low fidelity, and the music has deliberate distortions, making it sound like low quality recordings from years past. According to the staff of lo-fi Master Class, however, the music is “recording with less than professional or flawed sound quality…and initially referred to a low-quality recording with audible imperfections, such as background noise or performance mistakes, recorded with inexpensive equipment…The result was dreamy audio with a relaxed, retro sound that many found ideal for background music, especially studying.”
A pioneer in the use of lo-fi and classical music, Natalie Ziadeh was born in Houston, Texas, on February 24, 1999. She is currently a student at The Chicago of Professional Psychology, working towards a Master of Arts in Psychology with a concentration in behavioral analysis. Before matriculating at The Chicago School, she attended Texas A&M University, graduating in August of 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Her final goal is to get a PhD in either Clinical Psychology or Behavioral Analysis, then do research on the benefits of music on cognitive functioning.
Natalie has always used music as a means of relaxation. She took this venture seriously, and created an album titled Serenity. Available on all platforms, one being Spotify, Natalie’s album is awondrous combination of violin, viola, and flute, evident throughclassical music, meshed with the electric piano and percussion used in lo-fi music. The result is something hardly seen before, relaxation with a touch of enhanced cognitive functioning. This particular music can be a tool for therapy for many different people, including those with mental deficits. Natalie’s genuine desire to help people with mental health issues, and her love for classical music have inspired her “to create a set of songs that will stimulate the mind, foster creativity, and nurture mental health,” according to Ziadeh. These benefits are part of the reason why Natalie’s album acquired almost 30,000 streams in less than 30 days, and was accompanied by an explosion of 5,000 followers. Her social media profiles like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook have also seen quite a bit of love and support from her musical onlookers.
Natalie Ziadeh’s love for classical music developed as a young child who grew up in a house filled with music and musicians. Ziadeh herself plays several instruments, including her passion, the violin. She discovered the violin when she joined the orchestra in middle school. By the time she was a high school freshman, a member of her school’s top orchestra, she was traveling all over the state of Texas for orchestral competitions. According to Ziadeh, “the violin encompassed every part of my life for the past eight or more years. Throughout the stressors of collegiate education, when I lose my focus or my peace of mind, I find myself reaching for my violin…It never fails to keep me centered.” Her personal journey is easily discoverable through a simple Google search.