The Many Benefits of Music in Your Life

For centuries, songs and music have been used to tell stories, share culture and history, and create emotional connection. But often overlooked, is the positive impact music can have on our health and overall quality of life.

Here is a list of ways music has been proven to affect us:

Heart Health

Blood flows more easily when music is played. Music reduces heart rate and lowers blood pressure. It also triggers the release of endorphins in the blood, which lowers stress levels.

Brain Function

While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, music therapy helps relieve some of its symptoms. Music can relax an agitated patient and improve their mood. Advanced Alzheimer’s patients often lose their ability to talk with others. Many stop speaking completely. Music therapy helps keep them talking.  

Exercise

Listening to music while you work out can boost your physical performance. It can also increase endurance to help you exercise for a longer amount of time.

Anxiety/Depression

Studies show music has a positive effect on mental health. When you listen to music you like, your brain releases dopamine, a “feel-good” neurotransmitter. It helps relieve depression, anxiety and agitation while improving brain function. It’s even been found to be more effective than prescription drugs in reducing anxiety before surgery.

Stress

Listening to music fights the unhealthy effects of chronic stress. By lowering the stress hormone cortisol,  it helps promote wellbeing. Research shows music helps boost the body's immune system by increasing the “antibodies” that grow natural immunity and higher levels of bacteria-fighting cells.

Music and Learning

Music, taught in and out of schools, can help students excel in many ways. It can improve:

• Language development
• Test scores
• Brain connectivity
• Spatial intelligence

Studies show music training develops an area in the left side of the brain involved with processing language. It can actually wire the brain’s circuits in specific ways that improve learning.

Whether you sing, play an instrument or turn up your favorite tunes on the device of your choice, science says you’ll be healthier, happier, less stressed and perhaps a little smarter. Put that all together and it’s easy to say that music improves life.

Sources: Listening to Music as a Stress Management Tool,  National Institutes of Health, National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2021; Music and Health: What You Need to Know,  NIH, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, 2022; The Amazing Power of Music in Our Lives,  Psychology Today, 2022; 4 Ways Music Can Benefit Your Health,  Johns Hopkins University, 2022; Your Brain on Music: How Tunes Can Impact Your Mind,  Cleveland Clinic, 2025