The Therapeutic Power of Music

By Aiden Geleta

Music has always had a place in my life, but its role evolved when I entered college. One night when  I was feeling especially overwhelmed, I put on my favorite album, and immediately relaxed as the music flowed through my headphones. The note changes, rhythm, and the lyrics communicated to me like nothing had before. I related to every aspect of each song as they played, song after song I felt understood. Since then, music has become an outlet for me. I know what songs to play to help me enhance or change certain emotions. When I feel sad, I can listen to Lizzy McAlpine to feel comforted and uplifted; When I’m happy I put on “Role Model” to cheer me up. What I discovered within myself was able to be harnessed in a more structured way through music therapy.

Music therapy is a relatively new therapeutic strategy that works to harness the power of music. Its goal is to utilize musical activities to help stimulate individuals and elicit physical responses to enhance one's physical and mental health (1). More specifically, music therapy can function in primarily three formats: Active, Receptive, and Mixed. 

Active music therapy involves the patient actively creating, producing, or playing music. This is done with the goal of self-expression using music as a medium for communication. Musical expression can be cathartic , and help the individual process and express repressed emotions..

Receptive music therapy involves the patient listening to music. With this kind of therapy, the patient can respond silently, verbally, or even with another modality. With this formatting, although not creating the music, the patient can still be affected by the music in ways that allows them to engage emotionally and physiologically.

The last formatting is mixed where elements of both active and receptive music therapy are used. This is a more flexible modality that involves both creating and listening to music.

How can music therapy improve mental health?

From a more biological standpoint, researchers point to the fact that music engages multiple brain regions, one being the limbic system, which is an area notably important for emotions. Dr. Amy Belau wanted to further explore this idea and found that music seems to activate emotional responses that then facilitate memory retrieval (1). Other studies have found that a song’s tempo can either arouse or relax the body. Research has also demonstrated that both listening and producing music can reduce levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. Additionally, as we listen to music that we enjoy, the brain produces dopamine in the brain that activates our reward centers. Lastly, it has been shown that music can foster neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to rework neural networks (3); over time this can help strengthen neural pathways and improve overall cognitive abilities.

Music therapy can be used to treat a wide range of conditions. Primarily, it serves as a complementary therapy, meaning that it is most commonly part of a larger treatment plan that includes other interventions (4).

One of its most important functions is its role in emotional regulation, meaning one’s ability to manage and respond to emotional experiences. Music can provide a non-verbal outlet for emotional expression, through music the patients can express feelings they may not be able to articulate with words. Additionally, listening to music may help evoke emotions that the patient was not even aware of. At the end of the day, music therapy is an interactive form of expression for the client which allows them to engage and resolve their emotions. Its benefits depend on the individual and goals of the treatment. For example, it can help reduce anxiety, depression, ease stress, help with coping, etc. Overall, it is diverse in what it can treat and can be adapted to meet the needs of the patient.

Despite common assumptions you don’t need musical talent to participate in music therapy! Regardless of your skill level and background the therapist can adjust to target what needs to be addressed in a way that works with the patient.

Next time you feel overwhelmed, try putting on your favorite song or maybe even playing it on your favorite instrument. Consider how you feel when listening/playing your favorite song. Do you feel your emotions changing? Maybe you feel more relaxed? Discover how music could help you!

 

How Music Therapy Can Soothe Anxiety and Improve Mental Health—The New York Times . (n.d.). Retrieved October 3, 2024, from https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/30/well/mind/therapy-music-anxiety-mental-health.htmlLinks to an external site.

 

Lu, G., Jia, R., Liang, D., Yu, J., Wu, Z., & Chen, C. (2021). Effects of music therapy on anxiety: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Psychiatry Research , 304 , 114137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114137Links to an external site.

 

The transformative power of music: Insights into neuroplasticity, health, and disease—ScienceDirect . (n.d.). Retrieved October 3, 2024, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666354623001308Links to an external site.

 

What Is Music Therapy, and How Can It Help Me? (n.d.). Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved October 3, 2024, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/8817-music-therapyLinks to an external site.