“Smarter living” is what the New York Times calls it. How music makes employees more productive.

In biological terms, melodious sounds help encourage the release of dopamine in the reward area of the brain, as would eating a delicacy, looking at something appealing or smelling a pleasant aroma, said Dr. Amit Sood, a physician of integrative medicine with the Mayo Clinic.

Since Parkinson’s is related to the death of dopamine releasing cells, it stands to reason that producing dopamine would exercise the neurons that are left, perhaps delay the progression, slow it down perhaps. Obviously this would be a good thing for folks to research.

the article goes on to discuss some workplace research:

Teresa Lesiuk, an assistant professor in the music therapy program at the University of Miami. Dr. Lesiuk’s research focuses on how music affects workplace performance. In one study involving information technology specialists, she found that those who listened to music completed their tasks more quickly and came up with better ideas than those who didn’t, because the music improved their mood.

Perhaps. I always used instrumental music at work to keep the right brain occupied while the left brain worked on logic and math aspects of the job. Verbal interruptions, or vocal music, did not seem to be as helpful as straight instrumental music. It’s a theory, of sorts.

True story: Once, while listening to a piece of music on the local public radio station during their request hour, I got a hankering to call them up and request Death and Transfiguration by Richard Strauss. The DJ seemed a little irritated by my request. It was what I was listening to that very moment, I was informed. I was a bit amused. I had just turned on the radio a little while ago and hadn’t heard the introduction to the recording. I guessed that my brain was trying to tell me something, but I didn’t quite get the message.

Richard Strauss: Death and Transfiguration