Long before we understood the science behind it, we knew music could change us. It could soften grief, lift our spirits, steady our breathing, bring people together, and unlock memories we thought were gone. Music has always been more than sound; it is a language of the body, the brain, and the heart.
In an article from the National Library of Medicine, Muriel T. Zataar, et al, said that “From pregnancy to old age, music can improve cognitive, emotional, physical, and social domains, making it a valuable tool for promoting health and treating disease.”
Listening and Playing Music; Looking at the Brain
Recently, I watched an incredible podcast interview, Know Thyself, with musician, instructor, and Yale University scientist, Dr. Mei Rui. She discussed how music is not just healing for the listener but for the musician as well. In their clinical studies, they discovered that participants had a 34% decrease in pain and stress hormones when utilizing musical intervention methods. Rui says, “Music is a natural narcotic.”
It was also interesting to know that a musician’s chance of getting age-related cognitive impairments can be reduced by 64% due to this career choice. Similarly, playing music grows “the corpus callosum, a fiber tract connecting the two brain hemispheres…” At the same time, playing music engages every portion of the brain, unlike any other occupation, says Rui.
Music has also been associated with the reward processes in our brains by assisting the dopamine and opioid systems. Singing, playing, or listening to music in groups emits endorphins. This process brings feelings of collective well-being. Try reflecting on those moments at a concert or small gathering where everyone was singing together. Those feelings of inclusion and togetherness are the brain’s neural synchrony at work.
The Medicine in Music
Repeatedly, clinical settings are starting to include music in their healing therapies. I recall a neighbor, who was a musician, talking about the work she did at a senior’s home. She told me that going into work entailed gathering the seniors together to play, sing, and listen to music. Many of her stories spoke of moments when dementia patients would recall whole compositions along with long-forgotten memories.
The use of music in seniors’ homes is quite common now. Meanwhile, an Ontario music and art therapy blog outlines additional benefits to music therapy:
1. Stress and Anxiety Levels
Music therapy lowers stress and anxiety by reducing heart rate, slowing breathing, and decreasing cortisol levels. By mimicking the calm rhythm of an unhurried heartbeat, music creates an ambient environment for relaxation, which therapists employ through structured rhythm exercises to help individuals regulate breathing and manage anxiety or panic.
2. Communication and Social Skills
It provides a non-verbal outlet for individuals who struggle with communication, including those with autism, developmental delays, or communication disorders. By engaging in collaborative group activities like improvising and playing instruments, participants can interact and cooperate without the pressure of direct speech. These shared musical experiences assist with social development skills, such as listening, turn-taking, and helping to adapt certain behaviors within a supportive social environment.
3. Cognitive and Motor Function
Other musical therapies play a role in neurological rehabilitation by aiding both physical recovery and mental function. Through Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS), precise musical timing is used to help retrain gait or walking patterns in individuals recovering from stroke or brain trauma. Additionally, engaging with familiar songs stimulates broad areas of the brain, enhancing memory recall, attention span, and overall cognitive responsiveness, making it particularly beneficial for older adults, dementia patients, and those experiencing cognitive decline.
4. Pain Management and Comfort
While music therapy does not directly cure physical pain, it reduces the perception of discomfort by distracting from pain signals and triggering the release of mood-elevating endorphins through the body’s natural opioid system. Because of these benefits, hospitals increasingly use music therapy in palliative and recovery care to manage chronic pain, boost mood, and reduce reliance on analgesic medications.
5. An Emotional and Creative Outlet
Music therapy offers a safe, judgment-free environment for expressing difficult emotions such as sadness, anger, or trauma. These feelings may be hard to articulate through words alone. So, by engaging in creative activities like songwriting, writing lyrics, or playing instruments, individuals can freely process their feelings while gaining deeper self-awareness and emotional insight.
Rui also points out that the use of certain types of music during surgery can affect the patient both consciously and unconsciously. Also, the heart is affected by music. For example, heart rate variability (HRV) being flexible is important for a person’s well-being. However, when computer- or AI-generated music plays, the HRV loses its flexibility, creating feelings of anxiety.
Why and How to Explore Music
This summer, I interviewed Nebyu Yohannes, a multi-instrumentalist and sessional instructor at the VSO. During the interview, he discussed how music becomes “meditative”. He goes on to describe his working life during COVID. The young artist came home after a day of deliveries and started “fingerpicking” on his guitar. It served a couple of purposes, one of which was relaxation. It reinforces the idea that music is not only calming for listeners but for musicians as well. Please stay tuned for his upcoming interview.
So how can music be intentionally incorporated into our lives to find these therapeutic benefits? I really liked this short list from the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal:
- Create a playlist of your favourite songs from different stages of your life
- Sing along to music you enjoy either alone or in the company of others
- Join a group, such as a choir or community music program
- Listen mindfully, focusing on how the music makes you feel
- Move to music, whether it’s walking, stretching, or dancing
- Learn an instrument, whether young or old. “It is always a good time”, I was told.
Final words
Whether we are musicians or simply listeners, music offers us far more than entertainment. It can calm our nervous system, awaken memory, strengthen connection, support healing, and give voice to emotions we may not know how to express.
From a favourite playlist to a shared song, a choir, an instrument, or a quiet moment of listening, music invites us back into balance. So, keep singing, playing, moving, and listening because music may be one of the most accessible forms of medicine we have.