Ongoing History Daily: Why local music sounds better when you’re on vacation

If you’ve ever gone on vacation to a place where the local music is everywhere—say, the Caribbean with its reggae and dancehall and so on—you may have noticed that this music sounds absolutely brilliant while you’re away. You might even try to listen to that same music when you get back home. But have you noticed that this vacation music doesn’t have the same boost as it did when you were away?

Music researchers are interested in this phenomenon. They believe it’s related to the instinctive social bonding that comes through music. If we are immersed in local music, it helps us feel more included in that environment. But when we’re removed from that environment, the immediate need to bond with the locals dissipates and the musical boost lessens.

Pay attention to this the next time you take a trip.