Embracing Music May Improve Your Health

Billy Joel said, “I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by.” You don’t have to be a rock star to experience the healing power of music. Most of us have been moved by music that evokes a memory or just makes us feel good.

That music has therapeutic powers is a scientific fact, confirmed by the Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH), an independent organization convened by AARP to provide trusted information on how all of us can maintain and improve our brain health.

In a groundbreaking report, “Music on Our Minds,” GCBH experts concluded that the acts of listening to and making music hold significant potential to support our brain health. “Research suggests that music can enhance a sense of well-being, reduce stress, facilitate interpersonal connections, modulate the cardiovascular system, improve balance and boost the immune system,” the report’s authors wrote.

What does this mean for us as we age?

The GCBH report recommends that people at every stage of life unleash the healing power of music through dancing, singing or movement. These activities not only provide physical exercise but can relieve stress and are fun ways to socialize.

Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

Although listening to music that you know and like tends to cause the strongest response in the brain, try listening to new music to engage your mind. You can create personalized playlists for yourself or loved ones by using apps on a computer or smartphone. These apps typically suggest other new music you might be interested in.

AARP recently convened the Music, Brain Health and Dementia Summit at our Washington headquarters to support researchers who are working to determine exactly what types of dementia benefit from the sound of music. During the summit, initial results were presented from a pilot study led by Jacobo Mintzer, M.D., and funded in part by AARP and the National Endowment for the Arts. Mintzer evaluated the difference in response to music sounds, as opposed to nature sounds, in patients with dementia. The test revealed that music helped organize activity in the brain more effectively than listening to nature sounds.

Other data supports the idea of music as a powerful force for good cognitive health. AARP surveyed 3,185 American adults 18 and older and found that adults who make or listen to music are more likely to report their overall health, their brain health and their cognitive function as excellent or very good.

It is an exciting time in the field of ­research exploring the connection between music and brain health.

Go ahead and listen, play or sing. Find your favorite ways to embrace music. We can help. To discover the best music, tours, songs, concerts and new releases coming your way, go to aarp.org/entertainment/music.