There’s a growing body of evidence that music can improve mental – and even physical – health.

New research examined the impact of music interventions – listening to music, singing, and music therapy – on participants’ health and wellbeing. According to an article in Harvard Health Publishing, a “recent systematic review and meta-analysis (a study of studies) showed that the use of music interventions (listening to music, singing, and music therapy) can create significant improvements in mental health, and smaller improvements in physical health–related quality of life.”

Even to a lay observer, music has many obvious effects on wellbeing:

• Falling asleep to quiet music at bedtime
• Listening to upbeat music for workout motivation
• Singing to express emotion
• Connecting with others at a live music performance

But engaging in music therapy by a licensed professional is also an effective tool for “decreasing anxiety, shifting your mood, decreasing pain perception during cancer or other medical treatment, increasing expression, finding motivation” and more. Music therapists use both active interventions (singing, playing instruments, songwriting, etc.) and receptive interventions (listening, guided imagery with music, etc.) to work with patients to improve mental health.

Learn more about how listening connects you to your emotions and making music “engages the entire brain” by reading the full article here.

Kubicek, Lorrie. “Can music improve our health and quality of life?” Harvard Health Publishing, 25 July 2022, https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/can-music-improve-our-health-and-quality-of-life-202207252786.

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