1. Introduction

Music's power to evoke emotions is evident in daily life: joyful songs make people feel better and happier; on the other hand, sad songs give people a moment to think or make them calm. To an extent, it is not just a source of enjoyment; it plays an essential role in the vast majority of situations to adjust the intensity of emotions, for example, in a therapy session, in a church, or in commercials [1]. Knowing how and why music leads to certain emotions can be helpful for many reasons, including but not limited to reducing personal stress or acting as a component in therapy. This essay can discuss emotional regulation through dynamic music and psychological, neurological, and cultural approaches to explore why music can directly arouse human emotions. It is of great significance to study the influence of music on people's emotions. It is helpful to understand the mechanism of emotional regulation and provide theoretical basis for psychotherapy, education and other fields.

2. Psychological impact of music on emotion

One way music impacts emotions is through mood regulation; music is something people use instinctively for mood enhancement or mood change. It is subconsciously conscious; people choose songs they feel like listening to, whether it is pumping music that gives energy, serene music for relaxation, or moving music that uplifts. For instance, a cheerful major key and a quick tempo might indicate joy or motivation, while a slow tempo and minor keys are often conducive to people's relaxation or the expression of grief. According to the research on the emotional self-regulation of music, people use music to express or constructively manage emotions freely [1]. This has contributed to using music in therapeutic and general situations as a stress reliever or to enhance mood. As seen from a favorite song or a quiet instrumental, mood regulation shows the need to embrace music positively for mental health.

2.1. Cognitive-behavioral effects

The psychological impact of music describes how sub-elements in music, including rhythm, harmony, or words in the songs, can control perceptions and modify behaviors. Music is internalized and perceived differently; while the drumming is stimulating, the harmonious tune implies anticipation, while the melodic tune gives a feeling of comfort and even peace. Basement tones are perceived as sad, while highs endow feelings of happiness, influencing listeners' moods quickly [2]. Therefore, the lyrics are important. When listening to songs, the lyrics convey emotions or stories, and listeners can sense the messages presented to them, which triggers the feelings reflected in their bodies. This cognitive-behavioral effect is the premise of music therapy, and in this process, music serves as a way to influence thoughts and feelings. In this way, thanks to the application of the structure of music, a person can gain a more significant perception of oneself and emotions, which helps in coping with anxiety, stress, and even depression, which makes music an effective cognitive weapon in disease-fighting.

2.2. Music therapy

Music therapy is a growing field that leverages music's cognitive and emotional effects to treat various mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Music therapies allows patients to have structured music sessions so that they can communicate suppressed feelings, learn how to handle stress, and improve their concentration. Research has indicated that activities such as music therapy help decrease several symptoms of anxiety and depression within healthcare facilities, thereby benefiting patients' mental health statuses. For instance, patients who have undergone therapeutic music interventions express enhanced relaxation and emotional steadiness, and rhythmic sounds aid in stress moderation and mood enhancement. This therapy has also been found to reduce cortisol, a stress hormone, and an increase in dopamine, which is responsible for the pleasure and reward circuits [1]. In general, it is important to note that the findings of the study prove the valuable role of music therapy and show how effective it can be for people experiencing certain mental health issues.

3. Neurological basis of music's emotional influence

Music utilizes many brain areas related to emotion, memory, and reward, including the amygdala, hippocampus, and nucleus ascendens. The amygdala handles the emotional side of music, and the contextual side is the hippocampus, which amplifies the emotional response upon associating music with personal experiences.Listening to enjoyable music triggers the release of dopamine in the brain's nucleus accumbens. This is related to the brain's reward system because it produces pleasure and reinforcement [3]. These collectively help music elicit strong emotions, associating feelings that are being felt in the present with memories. This explains why music can quickly change moods, which makes music very effective in managing or treating emotional issues.

3.1. Neurochemical effects

Neurotransmitters such as serotonin and oxytocin associated with mood regulation and interpersonal bonding are also released during music listening, thus helping sustain positive moods and promoting social relatedness when shared with others [4]. The influences of music on the neurochemical process are also essential to the emotional impact, of which dopamine is an important factor. Music that elicits an emotional response, for example, triggers the release of dopamine, which is associated with pleasure and amplifies the feeling of joy and motivation. This dopamine release happens specifically during the high parts in songs where listeners feel that 'tingle' up their spine. Also, it has been established that playing and listening to music decreases cortisol, lowering stress. These neurochemical responses open up music as a powerful tool for regulating mood and stress and controlling the factors associated with the brain's chemical balance. This goes to show the effectiveness of music in the treatment process, when in therapeutic practice, and when used as an element of daily life.

3.2. Neuroimaging studies

Other research conducted using neuroimaging shows that various areas of the brain are engaged depending on the type of music and suggests that genre preference influences the impact of music on emotion. Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that listening to music alters the activity of the neural areas involved in emotional processing, which could improve mood or relaxation. Such neurological findings provide experimental support for Liszt's assertion that music is not merely an external object but rather an internal phenomenon that modulates emotions. Such findings also validate the possibility of personalized music therapy depending on the neurological reactions of patients to certain types of music.

4. Cultural and social factors in emotional responses to music

Culture plays a role in determining the perception a human being develops in singing, rhythm, and even the tunes in music. Different cultures may have various forms of musical scales, instruments, and even tempo, that is, the speed of playing music; therefore, what one culture associates with joy or sad emotion might not be the same as that of another culture. For example, the pentatonic scale of traditional Chinese music may remind Eastern listeners of homesickness or being at peace, but to Western listeners, it may evoke an unknown feeling [5]. Besides, the musicality of cultures determines how music is involved and applied in emotional circumstances such as a ceremony or festival, thus grounding the emphatic connections.

Culture also plays a part in how music influences people's emotions. After being socialized, people will have a specific attitude towards music. These people will respond to a given melody in a predictable manner, such as taking off their hats during national anthems or feeling the solemnity of hymns.These cultural distinctions prove that although music is a powerful device, the emotions associated with it are culturally sensitive. It is found in group cohesiveness, which tends to bond groups together and evoke the same feelings and temperaments. In every culture, music cannot be overemphasized for what it denotes in virtually all cultural practices, such as rituals, ceremonies, and celebrations. For example, national anthems help people feel unified and proud as members of a particular state, and hymns and chants during religious services promote a sense of togetherness and spiritual connectedness. De Leeuw et al. found that listening to or making music with others increases oxytocin, a trust hormone that fosters social relations, which are important for relationships [6].

Activities such as concerts and dance music festivals, for instance, also enhance this feeling as an individual moves in unison with other groups of people. This shared experience of rhythm and melody helps bring about common identification and sympathy, which underlines the social cohesiveness aspect of music education for both diverse populations. Exemplification of music's cultural importance gives an insight into how various societies use music to express emotions, reiterate customs, and promote togetherness. In Indian culture, it is considered that every raga has some mood attached to it; some ragas that are played in the morning have some feeling of peace to start flowing in the channel, and ragas that have been played in the evening bring the feeling of coolness at that part of the day. Mozart and the Whale's producers organized a West African drumming ceremony, a staged representation of the main characters' journey into the depths of their souls. It involves people drumming to signal births, marriages, and harvest times, whereby intricate patterns express feelings and create relations among the participants.

Likewise, Native American music employs drums, flutes, and chanting in sacramental rites, where each sound pertains to elements of nature, religious beliefs, or history to induce reverence and spirituality in the ancestors [7]. In Western settings, genres like jazz, blues, and gospel have cultural roots tied to African American communities, where music became a form of emotional expression, resilience, and solidarity during difficult periods [8-10]. These examples reveal music's powerful role in preserving cultural identity and evoking collective emotion across diverse societies.

5. Conclusion

This paper discusses the influence of music on people's emotions in combination with literature, and introduces it in detail. Studying the influence of music on feelings, it is possible to conclude that music is a wonderful way with definite psychological, neurological, and cultural characteristics. Music can influence people's emotions. Whether it is making people feel happier with fast - paced music or helping people deal with sadness through slow - paced music. Rhythm resonates with a specific part of the brain which is responsible for emotional response, memory and reward. This makes music evoke a strong emotional response and be associated with previous events. From a cultural perspective, music brings people together, makes them feel and respond, and reminds them of who they are and what they believe in across all societies. These layers of influence show why music occupies a high place among human values as an emotional outlet. Beyond its everyday impact, music holds significant therapeutic potential. Its ability to reduce anxiety, improve mood, and foster social connectedness makes it a valuable tool in clinical settings, where emotional support is critical. It will help to lower stress, enhance mood, and promote social interaction, which makes it essential in clinical practice, given that patients need to be comforted and attended to emotionally. Further studies on the impact of music on mood could build richer knowledge of their positive effects on mental health, including mood regulation and resilience. The ability of music to calm or excite people and socially bond people definitively establishes a universal relevance of music in human life; it, therefore, defines the usefulness of studying its impact on human emotions and how it can be systematically used to better societies in diverse settings.There are still some research deficiencies in this paper, and the number of documents used in this paper is limited. Future research can be combined with more literature to discuss this topic more deeply.