How music bolsters mental well-being and social connections

Music and neurology

If listening to a certain song feels like it scratches an itch in your brain, it’s because (in a way) it is.

Music has a profound impact on our neurology and the act of listening to it results in activation of some of the ‘broadest and most diverse networks of the brain’ according to Harvard Health Studies.

It not only triggers activation of the brain’s auditory cortex near our ears, but forms neural connections to wider areas, including those responsible for emotional regulation (amygdala), motor function (cerebellum), and memory (hippocampus).

As a result of this discovery, scientific studies postulate that music is able to sharpen our cognitive skills. The ‘Mozart effect’ suggests that listening to classical music, particularly compositions by Mozart, temporarily enhances spatial-temporal reasoning and problem-solving abilities.

Such findings emphasise music’s potential to maintain and boost mental agility, keeping our brains healthy, active, and sharp.

Music and mental health

In a world where the rhythm of life can often be chaotic and demanding, music has emerged as a soothing balm for the minds of many.

Beyond mere auditory pleasure, music offers a diverse range of mental health benefits that resonate with individuals seeking solace and serenity. Interestingly, studies have shown that listening to sad music when in a low mood can help us feel understood, loved, and uplifted.

By triggering memories and feelings of nostalgia, many individuals are met with additional feelings of gratitude for their own positive life experiences when hearing songs they recognise.

In addition, stimulation that occurs while listening to the rhythmic and repetitive nature of music – from wide-ranging chords to familiar lyrics – is known to contribute to stress reduction and emotional equilibrium.

This makes music a powerful antidote to the relentless cacophony of the modern world, allowing individuals to find their own internal harmony.

Thanks to its mood-boosting characteristics, many studies claim that music has the potential to be a ‘very addictive drug,’ as it activates the area of our brain that seeks pleasure and reward – the nucleus accumbens – releasing a dopamine rush similar to that of cocaine.

It makes sense then, that music therapy has become a field attracting widespread recognition and value.

The practice continues to promote music as a tool for alleviating anxiety and depression, helping to maintain speech and language in the elderly, and enhancing the quality of life of both patients and their carers.

For these reasons, the field deploys music-listening techniques to aid in the rehabilitation of stroke survivors and when providing care for Alzheimer’s patients.

Extending beyond the mental sphere, listening to music generates physiological reactions that help fight depression, lower blood pressure and reduce pain.

It’s clear that music not only enhances cognitive functions and emotional resonance but also exerts tangible effects on our physiological well-being. This wealth of research reinforces the idea that music is not merely a form of entertainment, it is a powerful tool for nurturing and enriching the human mind.

Music and social relationships

Throughout history and across cultures, music has been a powerful tool for establishing, preserving, and celebrating cultural identities.

Even today, music is able to foster diverse communities through festivals and concerts, where like-minded individuals from around the world unite in one location to share their common love for music.

At these events, individuals can express a wide range of emotions, from joy to sorrow. Tapping into this emotional outlet can be particularly therapeutic, helping people process their feelings and connect with others who share similar experiences. This sees festivals become a foundation for forming deep social connections with one another.

It’s no surprise that many festival-goers report feeling a sense of unity and belonging at such events.

Not to mention, music brings people together in a shared action and common goal.

Whether it’s singing in a choir, dancing at a concert, or enjoying music with friends, it promotes social bonding and has the capacity to strengthen interpersonal relationships.

One paper writes: ‘If it is a language, music is a language of feeling. Musical rhythms are life rhythms. Music with tensions, resolutions, crescendos and diminuendos, major and minor keys, delays and silent interludes, with a temporal unfolding of events, does not present us with a logical language, but instead reveals the nature of feelings with a detail and truth that language cannot approach.’

In recent years, our favourite streaming services have shown how much can be a tool for relationship building and communication. They continue to launch features that encourage us to connect with others using music as our voice.

A great example of how music platforms have set out to encourage social listening is Spotify’s ‘Blend’ feature, which allows users to generate a playlist with friends based on their combined music taste.

If music is a language, it is a universal one indeed. Whether it’s a drum beating around a campfire, a choir singing in unison inside a church, or a digital playlist shared over WhatsApp by a friend – music is an important part of the human experience.

Its wide-ranging benefits, from the mental, physical, emotional, and social, seem almost limitless.