It all starts in a small part of our inner ear known as the “cochlea,” which is the sensory organ for hearing.

This portion of the ear gathers auditory information such as pitch, timbre and intensity, and then translates it into signals the brain can understand, says Lola Cuddy, a professor in the department of psychology at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont.

Within the cochlea, there is tissue called the “basilar membrane,” which houses the sensory cells for hearing.

Sound waves cause the basilar membrane to vibrate. Those vibrations occur at varying strengths and locations in the membrane, depending on the frequency, or pitch, of the sound.

The basilar membrane sends this information to the thalamus, the part of the brain that processes sensory information. The thalamus, in turn, sends the sensory information to various parts of the cerebral cortex, the outer portion of the brain.

Parts of the cerebral cortex are responsible for different functions, such as memory, attention, consciousness, thought and language.

While all sound reaches the primary auditory cortex, music also reaches the amygdala, the brain’s emotional centre.

The ability to reach these various areas of the brain makes music both emotionally stimulating and beneficial for brain functions such as memory.

— OLIVIA GLAUBERZON