The therapeutic power of music has been used for centuries to help patients heal and deal with illness. It can ease symptoms of depression and anxiety, boost memory and reduce pain. Music can also help people cope with longstanding phobias. Music has been shown to have a therapeutic effect on the human body and mind. In particular, music has been shown to improve mood, reduce stress, improve focus, relieve anxiety and depression, and increase energy levels. This can be attributed to the fact that music has been shown to interact with different brain chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and norepinephrine. For example, a patient who was pinned under concrete rubble at Ground Zero on 9/11 and who later had to undergo radiation treatment for breast cancer, found daily music therapy helped her deal with her fear of claustrophobia.
Music has a calming effect
Music can be an effective way to reduce stress. It can also help you fall asleep more easily.
The therapeutic power of music isn’t just anecdotal: It’s backed by scientific studies that show how the brain interprets sound. A small area in the temporal lobe is responsible for decoding pitch, and another nearby area is devoted to timbre.
In addition, the tempo is also a factor. Faster music can make you feel alert and energetic, while slow songs can relax your muscles and quiet your mind.
Calming music has also been shown to decrease anxiety in people undergoing surgery. They had lower blood pressure and needed less pain medication afterward than those who didn’t listen to soothing music.
It reduces stress
Music has a therapeutic power that can help you deal with a range of stressful situations. It’s an easy way to calm your mind, lower your cortisol levels, and reduce your anxiety.
Music also can make you feel more in control of your life. It has a fixed beginning and end, which helps you get out of your head and focus on the present moment.
In addition, music can connect you with others in a meaningful way, helping to reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Research on the impact of music on stress is still relatively new, and findings are often conflicting. This is most likely due to methodological shortcomings (e.g., small sample size, lack of a valid stressor), as well as differences in how people regulate their emotions.
It improves memory
Music has several benefits for the brain, including a boost in memory, better concentration, and a greater ability to learn new things. It also can improve the health of the heart and lungs, and it can help stave off stress and anxiety.
The therapeutic power of music can be an important tool for people who are aging or dealing with illnesses like Alzheimer’s. It can improve cognitive functions, improve mood and help those who are suffering from the disease connect with loved ones.
In a study of Rwandan residents, researchers found that listening to music improved their working memory performance. They measured working memory using a behavioral task called the n-back paradigm before and after participants listened to different types of music.
They varied the arousal level (relaxing and stimulating) and the cultural origin of the music (Western or Rwandan). The results showed that the participants who listened to Western relaxing music performed better than those who listened to Western stimulating music or a short story in the control condition.
It reduces anxiety
Music has been used to soothe people with anxiety for thousands of years. It’s used by dentists to calm patients and by military bands to build confidence and courage.
Music therapy is often paired with cognitive therapy to reduce anxiety even more effectively. Some types of music, such as those that induce binaural beats to put brain waves into a relaxed delta or theta rhythm, have been shown to decrease symptoms in anxious patients even more than other types of music without these tones.
Listening to music is also a good way to break up the routine of everyday life, Ringgold says. It can help you reset your nervous system from reactive to rest-and-digest mode, which helps with stress and creativity.
In addition, listening to music can temporarily distract you from your worries, replace difficult thought patterns with pleasant ones, and strengthen therapeutic connections between the person providing music and the patient. It’s even been proven to lower the perceived anxiety about medical procedures in hospitalized children.
Bailey Perrie is a singing therapist who is changing the way people approach mental health treatment. Her innovative approach to therapy combines the power of talk therapy with the healing effects of music, offering a unique path to healing and personal growth. As research has shown, music can have a profound impact on mental health and emotional well-being, making it a valuable tool for therapists seeking to help their clients achieve lasting change. By incorporating singing exercises, songwriting, and other musical techniques into her sessions, Perrie helps individuals tap into the transformative power of music and find new ways to connect with their emotions. Her approach offers a fresh perspective on therapy and has the potential to help many people overcome mental health challenges and achieve greater levels of well-being.