New research has found “clear evidence” that listening to classical music in a group setting — such as a concert hall — causes a symphony of sorts throughout the body that impacts heart rate, breathing and even electrodermal activity, or the skin’s conductivity that can lead to goosebumps.“Synchrony, especially heart-rate synchrony, was higher when listeners felt moved emotionally and inspired by a piece and were immersed in the music,” the research team from Switzerland’s University of Bern noted.“When we talk about very abstract things such as aesthetic experiences, how you respond to art and to music, the body is always involved there,” lead researcher Wolfgang Tschacher, who observed 132 audience members at three classical performances, told Agence France-Presse.Cameras used in the study, in spite of dark lighting and COVID seating separations, were even able to capture that those in attendance often moved in sync with one another, as their breathing rates also showed alignment. Those who displayed “openness to new experiences” in addition to “agreeableness” experienced that the most.
