Music and well-being: the connection between them and how it helps us through difficult times

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Music can be quite cathartic. It moves our souls, uncovering emotions and inner turmoil we can’t seem to put into words and brings it to the surface. Each of us has likely cried while listening to a song – whether it’s because we’re disappointment or worried, or for some other contradiction that comes up in life. How many times have you felt wronged, alone, or crushed by a seemingly massive failure, apparently definitive and irreperable, only to find relief in a song’s lyrics and melody that perfectly expressed what you were feeling?

Does music add to the quality of life?

In an article published by Harvard Health Publishing titled “Why is music good for the brain?,” the question is asked: “Can music really influence your well-being, learning, cognitive function, quality of life, and even happiness?” It cites a recent AARP survey on music and brain health, which “revealed some interesting findings about the impact of music on cognitive and emotional well-being.”
Specifically, the study shows that: “Music listeners had higher scores for mental well-being and slightly reduced levels of anxiety and depression compared to people overall. Of survey respondents who currently go to musical performances, 69% rated their brain health as ‘excellent’ or ‘very good,’ compared to 58% for those who went in the past and 52% for those who never attended.”

The study further notes that “of those who reported often being exposed to music as a child, 68% rated their ability to learn new things as ‘excellent’ or ‘very good,’ compared to 50% of those who were not exposed to music.” Moreover, “Active musical engagement, including those over age 50, was associated with higher rates of happiness and good cognitive function.”

A non-representative survey, but with meaningful results

A note on the study’s methodology is important. It was a 20-minute online survey to which 3,185 U.S. adults aged 18 and older responded – a small and non-representative sample considering the country’s population of 328 million. Furthermore, the results rely on self-assessment, and people’s perceptions don’t always align with objective reality. “For example,” the article explains, “while people may report their brain health as ‘excellent,’ there is no objective measure of brain health – no MRI or cognitive test to verify it.”
Even if the self-assessments were accurate, the findings would only demonstrate correlations: “They do not prove that, for instance, childhood exposure to music caused a better ability to learn new things. It may be equally likely that children from wealthier families were both more exposed to music and had access to better education, which helped them become faster learners later in life.”
Nonetheless, the article offers compelling arguments about the correlation. “Suppose the AARP survey results are indeed true. How could music have such remarkable effects on the brain? While we can’t know for sure, advances in cognitive neuroscience in recent years allow us to speculate about some possible mechanisms.”

Music activates almost the entire brain

“Music has been shown,” the article explains, “to activate some of the broadest and most diverse networks of the brain. Of course, music activates the auditory cortex in the temporal lobes close to your ears, but that’s just the beginning. The parts of the brain involved in emotion are not only activated during emotional music, they are also synchronized. Music also activates a variety of memory regions. And, interestingly, music activates the motor system. In fact, it has been theorized that it is the activation of the brain’s motor system that allows us to pick out the beat of the music even before we start tapping our foot to it!”
Music helps keep brain networks strong. “Because music can activate almost all brain regions and networks, it can help to keep a myriad of brain pathways and networks strong, including those networks that are involved in well-being, learning, cognitive function, quality of life, and happiness.”

The sensitivity of young people: why is music such a central part of their lives?

Even more so than adults, young people know just how powerful music can be in difficult times. It doesn’t work miracles, but it touches hidden feeligs – and sometimes, it can even change the ending of a story. Especially when the artist writing and singing has felt the same pain and, having come out the other side of it, brings a message of hope and life.

Songs can be a powerful tool to inspire young people to live, to begin again, and to rise after they fall.