How Music Addresses Your Needs: The Emotional, Social, And Physical Benefits of Music

Music engages nearly all areas of our brains. Pretty powerful, right?

Renowned Greek philosopher, Plato, once said, "Music is a moral law. It gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything". Decades of extensive research has been conducted to discover how and why music is so powerful, The American Psychological Association (APA) acknowledges that music has “significant potential to enhance brain health and well-being for individuals of different ages and different levels of health." I'd like to explore how music addresses your, or your loved ones, emotional, social, and physical needs.

Music and Emotion

Music can motivate us when we are drained, uplift us when we are gloomy, enhance our joy when we celebrate, and calm us when we are overstimulated. Dr Heshmat of "Psychology Today" states that the brain stem is activated when we listen to music, evoking emotional arousal and pleasure. He also mentions that singing is considered more pleasurable and soothing to infants than speaking. In a scientific article named "Singing modulates mood, stress, cortisol, cytokine and neuropeptide activity in cancer patients and carers", the study conducted reveals that singing reduced cortisol (the body's main stress hormone) and the negative emotional state of participants. Singing was also shown to increase positive emotions amongst participants who sang in a choir together. Try singing or humming your favorite tune next time you need some emotional support.

Music and Socializing

Jill Suttie of "Greater Good Magazine" states that music "increases contact, coordination, and cooperation with others". In-person or online music-making, as long as there is synchronization (harmonizing notes or keeping a beat), can increase positive connection and social interaction with those you are playing or singing with. Music can also help us empathize with others. The results of a 2013 study showed an increase in emotional empathy amongst primary school children who engaged in weekly musical group activities (Rabinowitch et al., 2013). Music can help us be more social and more understanding of one another.

Music and Physical Health

The University of Utah Pain Research Center conducted a study with 145 participants to test the pain-relieving benefits of music. They were given various music listening tasks and were exposed to small electrical pain signals with fingertip electrodes. Results showed that "central arousal from the pain stimuli reliably decreased with the increasing music-task demand. Music helps reduce pain by activating sensory pathways that compete with pain pathways, stimulating emotional responses, and engaging cognitive attention." Increased musical engagement was shown to decrease pain significantly. Music can also lessen physical discomfort associated with invasive surgeries, restore speech lost from strokes, soothe nausea/vomiting in cancer patients, and improve physical coordination (Harvard Health, 2015).

Music And You

Do you feel that you or a loved one can benefit from the intentional use of music in their lives? Here at Healing Waves, we tailor music therapy sessions and music lessons to your unique needs and goals. Reach out for a free consultation. We are so excited to work with you and your family!