A 2011 study showed that regions of the brain associated with emotion and pleasure-seeking were significantly more active when study participants listened to familiar music than when unfamiliar music was being played. (Huffpost 31 July, 2013).

For familiar also read tuneful, melodious and consonant (I strongly believe). Already the dissonant, jingle-jangle music of the 20th Century is falling out of favour and music that tells a story, arouses the imagination, and has a melody you can recognise (even hum in the shower), is creeping back. It is what most human brains relate to. Dissonance will now always be with us, but maybe ugliness will fade.

Epicurus believed in harmony, calmness, beauty and avoidance of conflict, where possible. Difficult to achieve these days, but worth trying for.