Benefits of Music & Music Education (80+ Studies)
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Last updated Music is a wonderful thing, fulfilling and worthwhile in and of itself. And while we should never lose sight of this fact, science has also discovered many additional benefits associated with music education and listening to music in general which are worth exploring.
This page records and categorises these benefits of music according to science.
This video focuses on the benefits of music education, leaving out the wider benefits of music in general which are also included below.
Legend:
Study shows a benefit of learning a musical instrument or singing.
Study shows a benefit of listening to music.
Jump to a type of benefit
We’ve categorised the studies by the type of benefit they show. Browse our list and jump straight to a benefit of your choice.
Memory
Improves cognitive performance
A study on healthy older adults showed that those with musical experience of ten or more years scored higher on cognitive tests compared to musicians with less the ten years of experience and non-musicians.
Title and authors
The relation between instrumental musical activity and cognitive aging
Brenda Hanna-Pladdy, Alicia MacKay.
Improves attention and working memory
In a study published in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience, it was shown that children who are musically trained perform better in terms of attention and memory recall.
Title and authors
Musical training can improve attention and working memory in children – study
Dr. Leonie Kausel.
Improves memorisation
According to this study, listening to music you like helps with the reinforcement of learning and the recall of information.
Title and authors
Pleasurable music affects reinforcement learning according to the listener
Benjamin P. Gold, Michael J. Frank, Brigitte Bogert, Elvira Brattico.
Increases memory recall
In this study, participants who were asked to read and recall a short list of words performed better when listening to classical music compared to those who listened to white nose or silence.
Title and authors
The cognitive effects of listening to background music on older adults: processing speed improves with upbeat music, while memory seems to benefit from both upbeat and downbeat music
Sara Bottiroli, Alessia Rosi, Riccardo Russo, Tomaso Vecchi, Elena Cavallini.
Slows cognitive decline
In a study of adults with early memory loss, researchers discovered that listening to music improves memory function and lowers self-reports of cognitive decline in patients with preclinical Alzheimer’s disease.
Title and authors
Meditation and Music Improve Memory and Cognitive Function in Adults with Subjective Cognitive Decline: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Kim E. Innes, Terry Kit Selfe, Khalsa Kita, Singh Dharma, Sahiti Kandati.
Language
Enhances speech response throughout a lifetime
According to this study, older adults who had music lessons as children yet did not play music most of their adulthood have faster brain responses to speech sounds compared to those who never learned to play an instrument.
Title and authors
Older Adults Benefit from Music Training Early in Life: Biological Evidence for Long-Term Training-Driven Plasticity
Travis White-Schwoch, Kali Woodruff Carr, Samira Anderson, Dana L. Strait, Nina Kraus.
Improves linguistic development
It has been shown that regular music play for 5 to 6-year-old children has a positive effect on linguistic skills.
Title and authors
Music playschool enhances children’s linguistic skills
Tanja Linnavalli, Vesa Putkinen, Jari Lipsanen, Minna Huotilainen, Mari Tervaniemi.
Helps with word discrimination
Researchers have found that piano lessons have a specific effect on kindergartners’ ability to distinguish between different pitches, which translates into an improvement in distinguishing between words.
Title and authors
How music lessons can improve language skills
Yun Nan, Li Liu, Hua Shu, and Qi Dong, all of Beijing Normal University; Eveline Geiser, a former MIT research scientist; Chen-Chen Gong, an MIT research associate; and John Gabrieli, the Grover M. Hermann Professor in Health Sciences and Technology, a professor of brain and cognitive sciences, and a member of MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research.
Improves reading and language skills
In a study presented at the American Psychological Association’s 122nd Annual Convention, it was shown that learning to play a musical instrument can help disadvantaged children improve their language and reading skills.
Title and authors
Musical Training Offsets Some Academic Achievement Gaps, Research Says
Nina Kraus, PhD.
Improves reading ability
Children who learned to play the piano exhibited enhanced reading and vocabulary ability compared to children who did not undergo any type of music tuition, according to a study published in the Journal Psychology of Music.
Title and authors
The effect of piano lessons on the vocabulary and verbal sequencing skills of primary grade students
Joseph M. Piro, Camilo Ortiz.
Better discernment of sounds and speech
In a study published by Northwestern University, it was shown that musicians better coped with the effects of aging on their ability to hear words even with noise in the background.
Title and authors
Musical Experience and the Aging Auditory System: Implications for Cognitive Abilities and Hearing Speech in Noise
Alexandra Parbery-Clark, Dana L. Strait, Samira Anderson, Emily Hittner, Nina Kraus.
Improves speech response in babies
This research shows that play sessions with music improve babies’ brain processing of both music and new speech sounds.
Title and authors
Musical intervention enhances infants’ neural processing of temporal structure in music and speech
T. Christina Zhao, Patricia K. Kuhl.
Learning & intelligence
Boosts performance in Science, Maths and English
High school students who took up music courses scored significantly higher in Maths, Science and English exams compared to their non-musical peers, according to this study.
Title and authors
A Population-Level Analysis of Associations Between School Music Participation and Academic Achievement
Martin Guhn, Scott D. Emerson, Peter Gouzouasis.
Improves maths skills
In one study from the Center for the Study of Human Development, it was demonstrated that piano lessons can significantly enhance maths ability compared to people who did not take up music lessons.
Title and authors
Study of arts, music may enhance young pupils’ math and reading skills
Martin F. Gardiner of Brown University’s Center for the Study of Human Development.
Increases IQ scores
A study from the journal Psychological Science, showed that voice and keyboard lessons were able to increase the IQ scores of the participants when given before an IQ test.
Title and authors
Music Lessons Enhance IQ
E. Glenn Schellenberg.
Is associated with higher IQ test scores
In a study from the Karolinska Institutet, it was discovered that those who scored better on intelligence tests are those who do well with tapping to a rhythm.
Title and authors
Intelligence And Rhythmic Accuracy Go Hand In Hand
Fredrik Ullén at Karolinska Institutet, who led the study with Guy Madison at Umeå University.
Improves reasoning, planning and organisation
According to the study published in the journal Frontiers, music lessons result in improvement in language-based reasoning and the ability to plan, organize, and complete tasks that can translate to better academic performance scores.
Title and authors
Longitudinal Analysis of Music Education on Executive Functions in Primary School Children
Artur C. Jaschke, Henkjan Honing, Erik J. A. Scherder.
Increases focus and ability to absorb information
Studies have shown that instrument training from an early age can help the brain to better process sounds, making it easier to stay focused when absorbing information from other subjects.
Title and authors
Hearing the Music, Honing the Mind
Editors of Scientific American.
Enhances vocabulary and non-verbal reasoning
The results of this study suggest that instrumental music training may enhance auditory discrimination, fine motor skills, vocabulary, and non-verbal reasoning.
Title and authors
Practicing a Musical Instrument in Childhood is Associated with Enhanced Verbal Ability and Nonverbal Reasoning
Marie Forgeard, Ellen Winner, Andrea Norton, Gottfried Schlaug.
Enhances verbal intelligence and executive function
After only one month of music lessons (in rhythm, pitch, melody and voice), a study at York University showed that 90% of children between the ages of 4 and 6 had a significant increase in verbal intelligence during an executive-function task.
Title and authors
Short-Term Music Training Enhances Verbal Intelligence and Executive Function
Sylvain Moreno, Ellen Bialystok, Raluca Barac, E. Glenn Schellenberg, Nicholas J. Cepeda, Tom Chau.
Improves inhibition, planning, and verbal intelligence
In a study involving 147 primary school children, it was determined that those who had music education scored higher in tests dealing with planning, inhibition, and verbal intelligence.
Title and authors
Longitudinal Analysis of Music Education on Executive Functions in Primary School Children
Artur C. Jaschke, Henkjan Honing, Erik J. A. Scherder.
Helps your brain work more efficiently
Researchers from Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute discovered that people who were trained in music and people who are bilingual used fewer brain resources during memory tests compared to people who had no formal training in music.
Title and authors
Different neural activities support auditory working memory in musicians and bilinguals
Dr. Claude Alain.
Invokes high states of concentration
A study from Stanford’s Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustic showed that fast drum beats can place the mind in a state of increased concentration.
Title and authors
Feeling the beat: Symposium explores the therapeutic effects of rhythmic music
Harold Russell, Thomas Budzynski.
Increases attention span
A study from the University of Southern Denmark showed that just 12 minutes of listening to binaural beats and 4 weeks of mindfulness training were effective interventions to counteract the effects of mental fatigue on sustained attention.
Title and authors
On-the-Spot Binaural Beats and Mindfulness Reduces the Effect of Mental Fatigue
Johanne Lundager Axelsen, Ulrich Kirk, Walter Staiano.
Acts as a reward that drives learning
According to a study published by the National Academy of Sciences, music can act as a reward that motivates participants into learning.
Title and authors
Musical reward prediction errors engage the nucleus accumbens and motivate learning
Benjamin P. Gold, Ernest Mas-Herrero, Yashar Zeighami, Mitchel Benovoy, Alain Dagher, Robert J. Zatorre.
Can improve short-term information retention
A US study has shown that when students listen to the same classical music during study and while asleep, a method used to target reactivation of memories during sleep, their chances of passing upcoming exams increased.
Title and authors
Classical music, educational learning, and slow wave sleep: A targeted memory reactivation experiment
Chenlu Gaoa, Paul Fillmore, Michael K.Scullin.
Motor Function
Develops brain motor function
People who performed a basic movement task while listening to music showed increased connectivity between the regions of the brain that process sound and control movement suggesting music can enhance brain motor function.
Title and authors
Diffusion tensor MRI tractography reveals increased fractional anisotropy (FA) in arcuate fasciculus following music-cued motor training
Emma Moore, Rebecca S.Schaefer, Mark E.Bastin, Neil Roberts, Katie Overy.
Improves movement in some diseases
In a study published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, it was found that music therapy was able to improve the movement of patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Title and authors
Active Music Therapy in Parkinson’s Disease: An Integrative Method for Motor and Emotional Rehabilitation
Claudio Pacchetti MD, Francesca Mancini MD, Roberto Aglieri MD, Cira Fundaro MD, Emilia Martignoni MD, Giuseppe Nappi MD.
Exercise
Speeds up reaction time and improves multisensory processing
In this study, musicians were found to react faster to external stimuli and have “a statistical advantage when responding to multisensory stimuli compared to non-musicians”.
Title and authors
Musicians react faster and are better multisensory integrators
Simon P.Landry, François Champoux.
Strengthens breathing and swallowing muscles
In a study published in the Journal of Disability and Rehabilitation, it was shown that singing was able to help those with Parkinson’s disease maintain the muscle strength of their respiratory, swallowing, and voice muscles.
Title and authors
Effects of singing on voice, respiratory control and quality of life in persons with Parkinson’s disease
Elizabeth L. Stegemöller, Hollie Radig, Paul Hibbing, Judith Wingate, Christine Sapienza.
Helps post-workout recovery
Listening to slow music after a workout helps with the post-workout recovery as mentioned in a study from Narayana Medical College.
Title and authors
Effect of different musical tempo on post-exercise recovery in young adults
D Savitha, Reddy N Mallikarjuna, Chythra Rao.
Makes exercise seem easier
A study published in the journal Frontiers was able to determine that listening to high-tempo music during endurance training exercises like walking was able to reduce the perceived effort of performing the exercise.
Title and authors
The Psychophysiological Effects of Different Tempo Music on Endurance Versus High-Intensity Performances
Vittoria Maria Patania, Johnny Padulo, Enzo Iuliano, Luca Paolo Ardigò, Dražen Čular, Alen Miletić, Andrea De Giorgio.
Makes people run faster
According to one study, runners who listened to fast motivational songs ran faster than those who listened to calm music or no music at all.
Title and authors
How Does Music Aid 5 km of Running?
Marcelo Bigliassi, Umberto Leon Dominguez, Cosme Buzzachera, Vinicius Barreto Silva, Leandro Altimari.
Increases endurance
Music is a natural energizer. In fact, according to a study from Brunel University, listening to music while exercising increases endurance by as much as 15%.
Title and authors
Does Music Really Increase Exercise Endurance? Yes, By 15 Percent
Dr. Costas Karageorghis.
Breathing
Alleviates some respiratory diseases
A study from Mount Sinai Beth Israel found that when patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease participated in music therapy involving wind instruments, they reported improvement with their symptoms, psychological well-being, and quality of life compared to patients who received rehabilitation alone.
Title and authors
AIR: Advances in Respiration – Music therapy in the treatment of chronic pulmonary disease
Bernardo Canga, Ronit Azoulay, Jonathan Raskin, Joanne Loewy
Brain Function
Improves brain circulation
A study from the University of Liverpool was able to determine that musical training is capable of improving brain circulation.
Title and authors
Inferring common cognitive mechanisms from brain blood-flow lateralization data: a new methodology for fTCD analysis
Georg F. Meyer, Amy Spray, Jo E. Fairlie, Natalie T. Uomini.
Improves mental functioning in the elderly
In a study published in PLOS, elderly people with minimal music experience showed an improvement in cognitive flexibility and working memory after six months of piano instruction.
Title and authors
Behavioral and Neural Correlates of Executive Functioning in Musicians and Non-Musicians
Jennifer Zuk, Christopher Benjamin, Arnold Kenyon, Nadine Gaab.
Helps with stroke recovery
Music has been determined to have rejuvenating properties even for a brain that is traumatized. In one study from the University of Helsinki, stroke patients who listened to music experienced significant improvements in mood, attention, and memory.
Title and authors
Music listening enhances cognitive recovery and mood after middle cerebral artery stroke
Teppo Särkämö, Mari Tervaniemi, Sari Laitinen, Anita Forsblom, Seppo Soinila, Mikko Mikkonen, Taina Autti, Heli M. Silvennoinen, Jaakko Erkkilä, Matti Laine, Isabelle Peretz, Marja Hietanen.
Immune System
Increases antibody production
In a study from Willamette University, it was found that people who actively participated in musical activity had increased antibody production which could correspond to an increase in immune function.
Title and authors
The effects of active and passive participation in musical activity on the immune system as measured by salivary immunoglobulin A (SIgA)
Dawn Kuhn.
Improves ability to fight infections
In the journal for Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, a study was presented showing that drumming can increase the activity of circulating white blood cells in our body thereby increasing our ability to fight infections.
Title and authors
Composite effects of group drumming music therapy on modulation of neuroendocrine-immune parameters in normal subjects
B B Bittman, L S Berk, D L Felten, J Westengard, O C Simonton, J Pappas, M Ninehouser.
Mood
Improves quality of life
According to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine, dementia patients who participated in group singing activities reported improved quality of life.
Title and authors
The Effects of Music Therapy-Singing Group on Quality of Life and Affect of Persons With Dementia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Heeyoun Kim Cho.
Reduces depression
In a study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, researchers found that Music therapy reduces depression in children and adolescents with behavioral and emotional problems.
Title and authors
Music therapy for children and adolescents with behavioral and emotional problems: a randomized controlled trial
Sam Porter, Tracey McConnell, Katrina McLaughlin, Fiona Lynn, Christopher Cardwell, Hannah‐Jane Braiden, Jackie Boylan, Valerie Holmes.
Makes you happy
The journal Nature published a study stating that listening to music causes an increased release of dopamine. Dopamine is the same neurotransmitter that’s released when we feel happy, so this demonstrates a relationship between music and its pleasurable effects.
Title and authors
Anatomically distinct dopamine release during anticipation and experience of peak emotion to music
Valorie N Salimpoor, Mitchel Benovoy, Kevin Larcher, Alain Dagher, Robert J Zatorre.
Anxiety
Leads to focused attention, controlled emotions and reduced anxiety in children
A study from the University of Vermont suggests that playing the violin leads to focused attention, controlled emotions, and diminished anxiety in children.
Title and authors
Cortical thickness maturation and duration of music training: health-promoting activities shape brain development
James J Hudziak, Matthew D Albaugh, Simon Ducharme, Sherif Karama, Margaret Spottswood, Eileen Crehan, Alan C Evans, Kelly N Botteron, Brain Development Cooperative Group
Relaxes the body
In a study published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, it was stated that using classical music as an intervention was able to decrease heart rate, lower blood pressure and slow down respiration thereby providing an overall relaxing effect to the body.
Title and authors
The psychoneuroimmunological effects of music: a systematic review and a new model
Daisy Fancourt, Adam Ockelford, Abi Belai.
Decreases stress levels
In one study it was shown that those who listened to self-selected or classical music experience decreased levels of stress compared to those who listened to heavy metal music or just silence.
Title and authors
Coping with Stress: The Effectiveness of Different Types of Music
Elise Labbé, Nicholas Schmidt, Jonathan Babin, Martha Pharr.
Reduces pre-surgery anxiety
The anxiety-reducing effects of music are so strong it is even used to help with pre-surgery anxiety. This study published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice explores the effect of different types of music on pre-surgery anxiety.
Title and authors
The effect of different types of music on patients’ preoperative anxiety: A randomized controlled trial
Gülay Altun Uğraş, Güven Yıldırım, Serpil Yüksel, Yusuf Öztürkçü, Mustafa Kuzdere, Seher Deniz Öztekin.
Decreases cortisol levels
A study published in Mcgill shows that listening to music decreases the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body.
Title and authors
Major health benefits of music uncovered
Prof. Daniel J. Levitin of McGill University’s Psychology Dept.
Decreases stress levels during day surgery
In a study published in the British Journal of Surgery, researchers found that music is effective in decreasing the levels of stress a patient experiences during a day operation.
Title and authors
Randomized clinical trial examining the effect of music therapy in stress response to day surgery
S. Leardi, R. Pietroletti, G. Angeloni, S. Necozione, G. Ranalletta, B. Del Gusto.
Reduces anxiety prior to minor surgery
Music can also be used for minor procedures to reduce anxiety and help with patient sedation according to the study published in the journal Applied Nursing Research.
Title and authors
The effect of self-selected music during colonoscopy on anxiety, heart rate, and blood pressure
Dianne Smolen, Robert Topp, Lynda Singer.
Decreases anxiety and depression
In another study from The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, the use of music therapy on Alzheimer’s patients was able to decrease anxiety and depression in both self-report and salivary markers for stress.
Title and authors
Does Music Therapy Improve Anxiety and Depression in Alzheimer’s Patients?
José Enrique de la Rubia Ortí, María Pilar García-Pardo, Carmen Cabañés Iranzo, José Joaquin Cerón Madrigal, Sandra Sancho Castillo, Mariano Julián Rochina, Vicente Javier Prado Gascó.
Relieves anxiety and fatigue
Cancer patients experiencing anxiety and fatigue experienced relief while undergoing music therapy. This was stated in a study by Drexel University published by Cochrane.
Title and authors
Music interventions for improving psychological and physical outcomes in cancer patients
Joke Bradt, Cheryl Dileo, Lucanne Magill, Aaron Teague.
Reduces anxiety in heart attack patients
Music was proven to be effective in relieving stress in patients with presumptive myocardial infarction or heart attacks based on a study published in the Journal of Critical Care.
Title and authors
Effects of relaxation and music therapy on patients in a coronary care unit with presumptive acute myocardial infarction.
Guzzetta CE.
Lowers anxiety in children
Children diagnosed with cancer and under isolation showed positive results with music therapy in resolving their anxiety according to a study published in the journal Music Therapy.
Title and authors
Music Therapy as an Intervention for Children with Cancer in Isolation Rooms
Warren Brodsky.
Reduces anxiety in stroke patients
A study from the journal Rehabilitation Nursing was able to show that having stroke patients listen to music even for just an hour reduced their anxiety scores during acute rehabilitation.
Title and authors
Music as a Therapy to Alleviate Anxiety During Inpatient Rehabilitation for Stroke
Maureen Le Danseur, April D Crow, Sonja E Stutzman, Marcos D Villarreal, DaiWai M Olson.
Reduces anxiety as efficiently as oral medication
According to this study, the effects of relaxing music on patients’ anxiety prior to surgery were comparable to orally given medications without apparent adverse effects.
Title and authors
Relaxing music as pre-medication before surgery: a randomised controlled trial
H Bringman, K Giesecke, A Thörne, S Bringman.
Sleep
Reduces sleeping issues
A study published by the Journal of Advanced Nursing was able to demonstrate that relaxing classical music is an effective intervention in reducing sleeping problems.
Title and authors
Music improves sleep quality in students
László Harmat, Johanna Takács, Róbert Bódizs.
Can improve chronic insomnia
A study was able to demonstrate that listening to music for 45 minutes before sleep for four days shortened stage 2 sleep duration while extending REM sleep which translates to improved sleep in adults with chronic insomnia.
Title and authors
The effects of music on the sleep quality of adults with chronic insomnia using evidence from polysomnographic and self-reported analysis: a randomized control trial
En-Ting Chang, Hui-Ling Lai, Pin-Wen Chen, Yuan-Mei Hsieh, Li-Hua Lee.
Is effective for both acute and chronic insomnia
Music therapy, when used in adult participants, was able to improve both acute and chronic sleep disorders according in an analysis of randomised studies.
Title and authors
Music therapy improves sleep quality in acute and chronic sleep disorders: A meta-analysis of 10 randomized studies
Chun-Fang Wang, Ying-Li Sun, Hong-Xin Zang.
Productivity
Increases creativity
A study published in PLOS shows that listening to happy music leads to an increase in creativity as compared to working in silence.
Title and authors
Happy creativity: Listening to happy music facilitates divergent thinking
Simone M. Ritter, Sam Ferguson.
Improves quality of work
A study observed 56 software engineers while working while either listening to music or or in silence. The study found that the quality of work improved while participants listened to music.
Title and authors
The effect of music listening on work performance
Teresa Lesiuk.
Increases productivity for repetitive tasks
This study found an increase in productivity when background music was played while a repetitive task was performed.
Title and authors
Music — an aid to productivity
J.G.Fox, E.D.Embrey.
Helps with accuracy and efficiency
The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study showing that surgeon accuracy and efficiency improved when surgeons worked with music playing especially if they were the ones who selected the songs.
Title and authors
Effects of Music on Cardiovascular Reactivity Among Surgeons
Karen Allen, PhD; Jim Blascovich, PhD.
Pain Relief
Increases pain threshold
According to a study published in the journal Evolutionary Psychology, playing the drums, singing, and dancing increases your endorphin levels making you more resistant to the pain experience.
Title and authors
Performance of music elevates pain threshold and positive affect: implications for the evolutionary function of music
R I M Dunbar, Kostas Kaskatis, Ian MacDonald, Vinnie Barra.
Relieves pain after surgery
Patients under the study of Mount Sinai School of Medicine were able to report pain relief after spine surgery through the use of music therapy that includes live music and patient preferred songs.
Title and authors
Music Therapy Reduces Pain in Spine Surgery Patients
Joanne Loewy, DA.
Relieves chronic pain
A study from the Clinical Journal of Pain was able to show that two daily sessions of listening to music helped a group of patients with chronic pain relieve the symptoms associated with their medical conditions.
Title and authors
The effects of music intervention in the management of chronic pain: a single-blind, randomized, controlled trial
Stéphane Guétin, Patrick Giniès, Didier Kong A Siou, Marie-Christine Picot, Christelle Pommié, Elisabeth Guldner, Anne-Marie Gosp, Katelyne Ostyn, Emmanuel Coudeyre, Jacques Touchon.
Reduces pain from fibromyalgia
Another study from the Pain Management Nursing journal shows that music is an effective treatment for the pain symptoms of fibromyalgia, a condition known for its severe pain.
Title and authors
Effect of Music as Nursing Intervention for People Diagnosed with Fibromyalgia
María Dolores Onieva-Zafra PhD, Adelaida MaríaCastro-Sánchez PhD, Guillermo A.Matarán-Peñarrocha PhD, Carmen Moreno-Lorenzo PhD.
Reduces pain and anxiety after heart attacks
According to the American College of Cardiology, heart attack patients who listened to their preferred genre of music for 30 minutes a day reported significantly lower levels of anxiety and pain when tested.
Title and authors
Music as Medicine? 30 Minutes a Day Shows Benefits After Heart Attack
Predrag Mitrovic, MD, PhD, professor of cardiology at the University of Belgrade School of Medicine.
Blood Pressure
Playing a musical instrument lowers blood pressure
According to a study published in the Netherland Heart Journal, playing the guitar or a musical instrument lowers blood pressure as compared to the group that does not play a musical instrument.
Title and authors
Neurocardiological differences between musicians and control subjects
J L I Burggraaf, T W Elffers, F M Segeth, F M C Austie, M B Plug, M G J Gademan, A C Maan, S Man, M de Muynck, T Soekkha, A Simonsz, E E van der Wall, M J Schalij, C A Swenne.
Lowers blood pressure in cardiac patients
A study featured in the American Journal of Critical Care shows that listening to music was able to reduce the blood pressure of cardiac surgery patients staying in the hospital.
Title and authors
Effect of a music intervention on noise annoyance, heart rate, and blood pressure in cardiac surgery patients
JF Byers; KA Smyth.
Lowers blood pressure and relaxes the body
Listening to Mozart and ABBA was shown in one study to lower heart rate and blood pressure, signifying its ability to relax the body.
Title and authors
The Cardiovascular Effect of Musical Genres
Hans-Joachim Trappe, Prof. Dr. med., Gabriele Voit, Dr. med.
Social
Increases self-esteem
According to one study published in Sage Journals, it was found that playing the piano weekly for three years increases the self-esteem of students compared to those that receive no music instruction.
Title and authors
Effects of Three Years of Piano Instruction on Children’s Academic Achievement, School Performance and Self-Esteem
Eugenia Costa-Giomi.
Is associated with being more charitable
A study from Chorus America was able to highlight that choral singers are more likely to be involved in charity work as volunteers or as donors as compared to the average person.
Title and authors
The Chorus Impact Study
Peter Grunwald and Tom de Boor of Grunwald Associates LLC (Bethesda, MD), and Drew Richardson, of Lucidity Research.
Made men more attractive to women
A study has found that when women heard music before looking at pictures of men, they rated the male faces as more attractive and more likely for them to date.
Title and authors
Misattribution of musical arousal increases sexual attraction towards opposite-sex faces in females
Manuela M. Marin, Raphaela Schober, Bruno Gingras, Helmut Leder.
Helps with parental bonding
In a study from the University of Arizona, it was shown that children who listened to music with their parents reported better quality relationships with their parents when they reached the age of young adulthood.
Title and authors
Associations Between Shared Musical Engagement and Parent-Child Relational Quality: The Mediating Roles of Interpersonal Coordination and Empathy
Sandi D. Wallace, Jake Harwood.
Increases teamwork
Listening to happy music at work has been shown to increase teamwork in offices according to a study done by Cornell University.
Title and authors
The sound of cooperation: Musical influences on cooperative behavior
Kevin M. Kniffin, Jubo Yan, Brian Wansink, William D. Schulze.
Singing helps with loneliness and self-esteem
In a study done by University College London. it was shown that singing online in a virtual choir helped participants in improving their self-esteem and reducing the feeling of social isolation.
Title and authors
Present in Body or Just in Mind: Differences in Social Presence and Emotion Regulation in Live vs. Virtual Singing Experiences
Daisy Fancourt, Andrew Steptoe.
Eating
Enhances the taste of food
Researchers from the University of Oxford have discovered a link between music and food taste. It was shown that high-pitch music including instruments such as flutes enhances sweet and sour flavours while low-pitch sounds like tubas strengthen bitter flavours.
Title and authors
Does Music Influence the Multisensory Tasting Experience?
Felipe Reinoso Carvalho, Raymond Van Ee, Monika Rychtarikova, Abdellah Touhafi, Kris Steenhaut, Dominique Persoone, Charles Spence, Marc Leman.
Helps you eat less
A study from Cornell found that when people ate with soft ambient music and lighting, they consumed less and reported increased enjoyment with their food.
Title and authors
Fast Food Restaurant Lighting and Music can Reduce Calorie Intake and Increase Satisfaction
Brian Wansink, Koert van Ittersum.
Effects food choices
In a study, a randomly chosen cafe played different music on two different days and found that softer, more gentle music was associated with higher sales of healthy food while louder, noisier music lead to less healthy choices.
Title and authors
Sounds like a healthy retail atmospheric strategy: Effects of ambient music and background noise on food sales
Dipayan Biswas, Kaisa Lund, Courtney Szocs.
Helps dementia patients to eat
In a 2018 study on dementia, music was shown to enhance patients’ swallowing mechanism, decreasing the incidence of choking, and improving patients’ nutritional status.
Title and authors
“Music & Memory” and improved swallowing in advanced dementia
Dan Cohen Music & Memory, USA Stephen G Post and Angela Lo Stony Brook University School of Medicine, USA Robin Lombardo Music & Memory, USA Brandon Pfeffer East Carolina University, USA.
Final thoughts on benefits of music education
As we’ve seen, music education and music in general can offer powerfully positive, lifelong benefits for people. And while there’s still a lot of work to be done by researchers before the benefits are fully understood, the body of evidence is already quite large and steadily growing every year.
Do you know of a piece of research that we missed? For that and anything else, please leave us a comment.
