Steven Mithen, a professor of Archeology at the University of Reading, stated in his book "The Singing Neanderthals," that music evolved into a communication system. He explains language specializes in the transmission of information, while music specializes in the transmission of emotion.
While music is believed to affect the right side of the brain, the one directly linked to the auditory cortex, it also affects the left side of the brain, responsible for speech, language and mathematical calculations. Robert Zatorre, co-director of the International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research, said that "The area linked to anticipation connects with parts of the brain involved with making predictions and responding to the environment, while the area reacting to the peak moment itself is linked to the brain's limbic system, which is involved in emotion." He then concludes that dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for rewarding experiences such as food, sex, drugs or sleep, is released in the brain in higher doses when people listen to music they enjoy.
"All humans come into the world with an innate capability for music," said Kay Shelemay, professor of music at Harvard. He believes that at an early age, the child's ability to listen to music is shaped by the social aspects in which he is raised. Whether he is brought up in Africa or New York, a child's inclination toward music-listening derives from the pleasurable effect on his brain. But the music he prefers when growing up depends on his cultural and social surroundings.
Compared to other animals, humans react differently to listening to music. Elizabeth Spelke, another professor at Harvard University who has studied the affect of music on the brain said that "There's evidence for music pretty far back in human prehistory. And humans seem to respond to music in unique ways, compared to other animals." Some people enjoy instrumental music because it helps them relax, while others prefer vocal music, because they want the lyrics and melody to convey a message.