Music & Mental Health: Now’s the Perfect Time to Practice

A woman with short, curly hair looks thoughtfully off into the distance as she plays the piano. Photo courtesy of Pexels.

After a long day, you plug in your headphones, turn up the volume loud enough to drown the world out, and lean back into your bed, exhaling as the first note graces your eardrums. Within seconds, a wave of relief rolls over your mind and chills travel up your spine, radiating throughout your body. It only took pressing “PLAY” to put your worries at ease.

“We’re already in a place where people are using music as medicine,” said author and McGill University psychology professor Dr. Daniel Levitin during an interview with the American Psychological Association. “They’re using music much as they use drugs.”

Music exhibits such profound effects on brain chemistry and mood regulation that special programs have been developed to aid patients in clinical settings, Levitin explained.

Although clinical research on music therapy is still in its infancy, the evidence thus far shows it can alter an individual’s pain threshold, mood, heart and respiratory rate.

Music therapy is a hands-on practice used by a trained music therapist to improve the mental health of a patient, explains a 2018 Psychiatria Danubina review. The goal of music therapy is to use help the patient achieve self-awareness, self-expression, and personal development, while simultaneously improving their day-to-day interactions with other people.

Listening to music has the power to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, but it’s especially effective when coupled with standard therapeutic practices. The review also discusses how the effects are stronger when music is listened to or sung in a group setting, as opposed to individual listening. These results are consistent among a variety of listeners, from working-aged adults to mothers diagnosed with postpartum depression and senior citizens.

Furthermore, listening to music is associated with improved sleep quality and less daytime dysfunction, which may be linked to the reduction in depression and anxiety symptoms, the review says.

Drumming Out Your Feelings

A musician plays the djembe drums from the comfort of his couch. Photo courtesy of Envato Elements.

Putting on your favorite song isn’t the only way to mentally exhale. Playing an instrument or singing is highly beneficial to your emotional wellbeing, too.

In a 2016 Psychological Well-Being study, researchers interviewed 39 mental health patients and caretakers who participated in group djembe drumming in the United Kingdom. Group drumming fostered many aspects of recovery among participants, enhancing their nonverbal communication skills and sense of belonging.

“It’s nonverbal…  it just works in a different way, you know,” said Celia, a participant in the study. “I can’t always explain my thoughts and feelings, but somehow just banging the drum and having that vibration and feeling something touches something inside… I just connect with it.”

Playing an instrument also increases connectivity throughout the brain, improving one’s ability to engage in creative problem solving and develop deeper social as well as emotional skills.

“Did you know every time musicians pick up their instruments, there are fires going off in their brain,” says a 2014 TED-Ed video by Anita Collins. “In the last few decades, neuroscientists have made enormous breakthroughs in understanding how our brains work by monitoring them in real time with instruments like fMRI and PET scanners.”

Regions throughout the brain light up with activity to help you understand a song’s composition, the video explains. When you play an instrument, both halves of your brain synchronize to allow messages to communicate across each hemisphere faster.

“When scientists went from observing the brains of music listeners to those of musicians, the little backyard fireworks became a jubilee,” the video continues. “While listening to music engages the brain in some pretty interesting activities, playing music is the brain’s equivalent of a full-body workout. Playing a musical instrument engages practically every area of the brain at once, especially the visual, auditory, and motor cortices.”

Repeatedly practicing music strengthens those areas throughout the brain, which positively impacts how you process other activities throughout your daily life.

There’s Never Been a Better Time to Learn an Instrument

An aspiring musician learns how to play the piano through his smartphone. Photo courtesy of Pexels.

As stress and loneliness consume society amidst the coronavirus pandemic, music offers a creative outlet for individuals to belt out their worries. But picking up a new instrument can seem like a daunting task for many – where do you even begin?

MeetHook offers users a chance to connect with trained music professionals and their favorite artists for one-on-one video call classes and inspiring conversations. There are a wide variety of hosts on our platform from around the globe who are excited to guide you through learning a new instrument.

The best part? Signing up for MeetHook is completely free and you have total freedom over your own schedule. All you have to do is log in from your computer, iOS, or Android device to get started on achieving emotional wellbeing through music.