Family Living Focus: Strike a Chord for Health – Music Matters for Body and Mind

Gail Gilman, Family Life Consultant, M.Ed., C.F.C.S. and Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota

Music can lift you up. It can bring tears to your eyes. It can help you relax or make you get up and dance. You probably hear music several times a day on the radio or TV, in the supermarket, at the gym or hummed by a passerby. Music has been with us since ancient times, and it is part of every known culture. Music strikes a chord with all of us.

There is something about music and engaging in musical activities that appears to be very stimulating for the brain and body. Singing favorite songs with family and friends, playing in a band or dancing to music can also help you bond with others. It is a way of synchronizing groups of people and engaging in a common activity that everyone can do at the same.

Scientists are exploring the different ways music can influence our bodies and minds. Their research may also shed light on creative processes. Ultimately, scientists hope to harness the power of music to develop new treatments for people with stroke, autism, and many other conditions.

Several studies have found that listening to music can alleviate pain or reduce the need for pain medications. Other research suggests that music can benefit heart disease patients by reducing their blood pressure, heart rate and anxiety. Music therapy has also been shown to lift the spirits of patients with depression. Making music yourself by either playing instruments or singing can have therapeutic effects as well.

Scientists have long known that when music and other sounds enter the ear, they are converted to electrical signals. Brain imaging techniques have shown that music activates many unexpected brain regions. It can turn on areas involved in emotion and memory. It can also activate the brain’s motor regions, which prepare for and coordinate physical movement.

Unfortunately, for some people listening to music can be an unpleasant challenge. About 1 in 50 people have a disorder called tune deafness. They have trouble hearing the differences between musical tones. They cannot carry a tune. The most severely affected people cannot even recognize it as music. To them it just sounds like traffic noise.

When you make music, it engages many different areas of the brain, including visual, auditory, and motor areas. That is why music-making is also of potential interest in treating neurologic disorders.

Research suggests that music may help with pain, Alzheimer’s disease, and other medical conditions. Try the following activities:

Play music throughout your day.
Attend a concert or musical program.
Talk about the music, the singer, or the memories the songs bring up.
For those who play instruments, get together and play with friends and family.
Sing or dance along together.
Play musical games like “Name That Tune.”

Scientists continue to explore the relationship between music and health. While they search, try turning on the radio or grabbing your guitar. Enjoy whatever music brings your way.

Be sure to watch for more Family Living Focus information from Gail Gilman, Family Life Consultant, M.Ed., C.F.C.S. and Professor Emeritus – University of Minnesota in next week’s paper.