What Are the Benefits of Music Therapy?

Music has the power to boost the intensity of existing moments and stir deep emotions while helping us recall and relive meaningful memories (Solanki et al., 2013).

For me, when I hear Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds,” I’m transported back to gently singing the lyrics — exhausted — at 3 AM to my then baby daughter as she stubbornly resisted sleep.

It’s no surprise that music across every culture, and in all its forms, is recognized as providing solace and emotional comfort to the weary and those facing difficult challenges (Solanki et al., 2013).

More recently, researchers and mental health professionals have confirmed its therapeutic potential to support good mental health and reduce symptoms of a range of conditions, including depression and anxiety (Silverman, 2022).

This article digs deeper into the benefits of music therapy in its various forms and settings.

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14 Proven Benefits of Music Therapy

Music has offered humanity emotional support and prepared us for the tough times ahead throughout history and across all cultures (Solanki et al., 2013).

In recent decades, a wealth of research has confirmed its value across a spectrum of mental and physical health conditions. Studies report the many benefits of music therapy, including (Solanki et al., 2013; Silverman, 2022):

1. Reducing symptoms of psychosis, depression, anxiety, stress, and schizophrenia-like disorders
2. Enhancing social functioning
3. Positively impacting treatment readiness and motivation
4. Reducing craving intensity and volume in substance use interventions
5. Lowering resistance to mental health treatment due to its enjoyability compared to other therapies
6. Improving coping skills
7. Offering emotional relief by inspiring hope and optimism
8. Boosting memory, attention, and cognitive functioning
9. Promoting relaxation and reducing stress-related hormones
10. Offering pain relief for acute and chronic conditions
11. Encouraging social interaction and group cohesion
12. Supporting other therapeutic and rehabilitation techniques
13. Reducing distress and challenging behavior in patients with Alzheimer’s disease
14. Improving sleep quality

Music therapy is also well tolerated. It is a noninvasive and safe treatment with no known side effects and a low dropout rate (Silverman, 2022).

Promote Wellness

The capacity of music to promote psychological wellness is witnessed in our daily lives and reported in the scientific literature (Constantin, 2018; Altenmüller & Schlaug, 2012).

Music therapy involves engagement with music, such as playing instruments, singing, or listening, and is facilitated by a suitably trained professional (Lu et al., 2021).

The benefits of music therapy result from music’s ability to engage multisensory, motor, and emotional networks in the brain and involve key neural mechanisms: neuroplasticity, neurohormonal modulation, and emotional activation (Altenmüller & Schlaug, 2012; Constantin, 2018).

In a very real sense, music can change our brains. It stimulates our mental adaptation, enhancing functional connections and increasing the density of our gray matter. Such rewiring improves sensory, motor, and cognitive functioning (Altenmüller & Schlaug, 2012; Constantin, 2018).

Beyond that, music can trigger our brain’s reward system, releasing the serotonin and dopamine we associate with feeling good, motivated, and emotionally balanced.

Music’s ability to reduce stress may result from the release of immune-boosting peptides that increase feelings of wellness (Altenmüller & Schlaug, 2012; Constantin, 2018).

Music therapy connects with us at a deep level and allows us to embrace our feelings without relying on words (Barnes, 2018).

The benefits of music therapy come from fostering overall wellness and supporting individuals and groups in overcoming various emotional disorders (Constantin, 2018).

Manage Stress and Anxiety

Music therapy is a powerful approach for individuals and mental health professionals for managing and reducing stress and anxiety (Lu et al., 2021).

The benefits of music therapy are the result of the individual and combined elements of music, including melody, rhythm, harmony, and pitch, and their ability to support physical, psychological, and social wellbeing (Lu et al., 2021).

Several mental mechanisms and strategies come into play during treatment that help clients manage and overcome stress, including (Lu et al., 2021):

• Distraction
  Music can shift the client’s attention away from negative stimuli, events, or thoughts to something more positive.
• Emotional regulation
  Musical expression can help individuals process emotions and reduce tension.
• Reward and pleasure activation
  Treatment can stimulate areas of the brain associated with reward and emotion (parts of the limbic system) that counteract feelings of anxiety and stress.
• Therapeutic interaction
  Music can support the therapeutic relationship by fostering emotional stability and more active interaction between the therapist and client.
• Relaxation and stress reduction
  Melody, rhythm, and harmony can be calming, lowering physiological stress responses, including heart rate and blood pressure.

The psychological and physical mechanisms impacted contribute to the benefits of music therapy and its capacity to reduce anxiety and improve coping abilities (Lu et al., 2021).

Alleviate Pain

Research within various medical settings confirms that one of the benefits of music therapy is its ability to alleviate pain, particularly in those recovering from severe burns, living with chronic discomfort, or experiencing palliative care (Klenck, 2022).

In the emergency department, musical interventions can help individuals manage pain and promote comfort during medical procedures (Klenck, 2022)

Crucially, it is noninvasive and can be personalized to the patient and their situation. It can reduce the length of hospital stays, improve patient satisfaction, and lower stress-related physiological responses (Klenck, 2022).

Pain-reducing (or managing) musical interventions can take various forms, including (Klenck, 2022; Barnes, 2018):

• Patient-preferred music listening
  Patients select the music they most enjoy. It can reduce pain and anxiety and encourage relaxation.
• Music-assisted relaxation
  Music is paired with other relaxation techniques, such as imagery or deep breathing.
• Engaging with live music
  The music therapist plays instruments, such as the guitar or piano, to create a calming environment to distract patients from their discomfort.
• Iso-principle
  The therapist matches the music with the patient’s current mood. Then, they gradually introduce more relaxing or uplifting styles to achieve the desired emotional state.
• Playing instruments
  When patients are engaged in playing instruments, it promotes coping, mood elevation, and distraction from medical procedures.
• Songwriting
  Individually or with the therapist, writing songs can support coping and the experience and processing of medical procedures.
• Music for support
  Appropriate music can reduce distress and support coping.

The combined benefits of music therapy make it a powerful complementary tool for pain management, particularly in medical settings (Barnes, 2018).

Express Feelings

The benefits of music therapy extend to older adults in search of a better quality of life in care settings. Studies suggest this is partly because it helps clients engage in deep emotional expression (González-Ojea et al., 2022).

Singing songs from their childhood or key points in their lives helps aging clients connect with positive emotions, while moving with music offers opportunities for emotional release and articulating how they feel nonverbally and creatively (González-Ojea et al., 2022).

Emotion-regulating improvisational music therapy uses musical improvisation to encourage clients to express emotions more fully, helping them engage with positive emotions, such as joy, trust, and relaxation, and challenging ones, such as aggression, fear, and frustration (Aalbers et al., 2022).

Music is the universal language of emotions and encourages us to reflect on what a song means to us.

Enhance Memory

Music therapy can positively impact cognitive performance and memory. Studies recognize experimental protocols such as sound training for attention and memory as a valuable treatment for people with schizophrenia, boosting memory and cognitive skills (Solanki et al., 2013).

Part of the reason for improved mental performance may be in response to increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in the hypothalamus, which is known to boost neuron growth and survival (Solanki et al., 2013).

Familiar music also has the potential to trigger apparently lost memories and support recall in patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s (Solanki et al., 2013; Zhao et al., 2016).

Improve Communication

The benefits of music therapy also include its positive impact on the therapeutic alliance, improving communication between client and therapist (Aalbers et al., 2022).

More generally, such treatments benefit emotional expression and verbal processing, which are essential communication elements in any relationship.

Music offers a more relaxed and supportive environment within patient waiting rooms that encourages patients to share their needs and experiences (Klenck, 2022).

For individuals with cognitive deficits or conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s, acquired brain injury, and autism, the benefits of music therapy include encouraging spontaneous interaction, reducing isolation, and increasing social engagement (González-Ojea et al., 2022; Barnes, 2018).

Psychiatrists also recognize the benefits of music therapy and its ability to create supportive environments that help clients develop better communication skills, build stronger relationships, and express themselves in ways not possible through traditional approaches (Solanki et al., 2013).

Promote Physical Rehabilitation

Music therapy has proven to be a valuable tool alongside other treatments for supporting emotional and physical rehabilitation in patients in various settings (Weigel et al., 2023).

For example, research has identified music therapy as complementary to physical therapy in treating patients with multiple sclerosis by targeting motor, cognitive, emotional, and sensory functions, offering several key benefits, including (Weigel et al., 2023):

• Improved mobility and gait
• Better balance
• Enhanced motor skills
• Lower perceived fatigue
• Increased physical comfort and reduced pain

Facilitate Emotional Healing After Trauma

Music therapy can be effective with patients experiencing post-traumatic stress symptoms who haven’t responded to conventional treatment, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (Carr et al., 2012).

Engaging with music, be that listening, playing instruments, or songwriting, provides individuals with an accessible, safe, and expressive medium to explore painful experiences without direct verbal confrontation (Landis-Shack et al., 2017).

Trauma-focused music therapy significantly reduces post-traumatic stress symptoms, fosters emotional processing, and aids emotional integration, supporting overall psychological recovery (Carr et al., 2012; Landis-Shack et al., 2017).

Aid Recovery in Neurological Disorders

Music therapy shows promising results in aiding recovery from neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and stroke (Altenmüller & Schlaug, 2012).

Music simultaneously activates multiple brain regions, encouraging neuroplasticity — promoting neuron growth and connections — and supporting the rehabilitation of motor function.

Therapies involving rhythmic cues, such as playing melodies on the piano and tapping electronic drum pads, have proven effective in improving gait, coordination, and overall mobility (Altenmüller & Schlaug, 2012).

Music therapy is a valuable tool for children with neurological disorders, as it supports neuroplasticity and promotes mental and physical recovery. Bringas et al. (2015) identified vital attention and communication improvements in those treated and suggested more widespread use of such treatment in neurorestorative settings.

More Music Therapy Resources From PositivePsychology.com

We have many complementary resources available to support therapists interested in using the benefits of music therapy with clients.

Our Realizing Resilience Masterclass© is a six-module training program that will help clients focus on more positive life events, constructively direct their thoughts, cope effectively with negative and positive life events, and motivate themselves through adversity.

Our free resources include:

• The Voo Sound 
  Breathing out while making a low-pitched foghorn sound can help regulate our body’s responses and prevent overriding our nervous system.
• Event Visualization Worksheet
  This visualization exercise can be adapted to incorporate music as a coping or grounding tool when anticipating stressful situations.
• Feelings Garden
  Music can be incorporated into this delightful activity to help children identify and understand their feelings, thoughts, and behavior.

More extensive versions of the following tools are available with a subscription to the Positive Psychology Toolkit©, but they are described briefly below:

• Music to Inspire Kindness

Music has been shown to promote positive social behavior in children (Altenmüller et al., 2012). Try out the following to help them become better at sharing and caring for others:

• • Step one – Explain to the group that this is a singing exercise and ask them to pay attention to how they feel afterward.
  • Step two – Form a circle, seated or standing.
  • Step three – Ask the group to write down names of well-known songs, put them in a box, and choose one at random.
  • Step four – Invite the group to sing, with the leader encouraging the others.
  • Step five – Clap and cheer when finished to celebrate.
  • Step six – Reflect on what it was like to sing as a group and how everyone felt afterward.
• Using Music to Express Feelings

Music has been described as the language of emotions. This exercise uses music to evoke complex emotions and create mood states.

• • Choose three songs that capture how you feel about your situation right now.
  • Answer the following questions:
    What is the title of this song?
    When you hear this song, what comes to mind?
    How does this song make you feel?
    Which part of the song is the most important to you?

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A Take-Home Message

We’ve likely all been deeply moved by music multiple times throughout our lives. As such, we can likely recognize its ability to mirror or enhance our feelings.

The benefits of music therapy are wide and varied. Music can move us and help us embrace a wide range of feelings, including joy, pain, hope, sadness, awe, and loss.

Research confirms its value as a standalone and combination treatment to support wellbeing and improve life quality in diverse groups (González-Ojea et al., 2022; de Dreu et al., 2012; Lin et al., 2020).

Music-based therapies offer powerful, non-pharmacological interventions for treating psychological, psychiatric, and behavioral disorders and addressing the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of clients (Tang et al., 2020).

For patients recovering from surgery or experiencing pain from chronic conditions, musical treatment can reduce the negative consequences that result, such as hyperventilation, poor sleep, anxiety, and difficulty moving (Lin et al., 2020).

Ultimately, making or listening to music can engage our multisensory and motor networks and capacity for neuroplasticity, bringing positive mental and physical changes to our clients’ lives.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our five positive psychology tools for free