The Scottish jazz scene is vibrant. March marks a special month in the jazz calendar, because it is usually when the Aberdeen Jazz Festival is held, and it prompted me to write a piece about the importance of music on our mental wellbeing.
Music holds a very special place in most people’s hearts. The first song at our wedding, or the first song that we danced to after meeting the love of our life. Or perhaps the song that helped us celebrate the life of someone at their funeral. Regardless of where and when, most of us can recall the impact that a song or concert had on our emotions.
But music can be more than memories. Whether we passively listen to music or we learn to play an instrument, it can have a profound influence on our emotional development and our mental health.
Research conducted in 2022 suggests that music shapes our personal and cultural identities but it also plays a role in mood regulation. Music therapy has been shown to provide a safe and supportive environment for healing and for building resilience. Group-based musical performance helps facilitate emotional release and is hugely beneficial in promoting self-reflection and emotional awareness.
But you don’t have to be part of a group to benefit from the healing qualities of music. Simply listening in a mindful way to a recording or an album is a great way to relax and to disconnect from your troubles, even for a short period. We know the benefits of meditation on our mental health, so music can also be a great form of meditation.
When the brain engages in listening to music, it uses a wide range of its powers, which means that it can focus on the task in a very mindful way. Auditory cortexes process sound, pitch and melody while the limbic system triggers emotions and memory. The brain’s motor system (cerebellum) is activated by rhythm, prompting to-tapping. Another fascinating aspect is the way that the brain predicts incoming notes and melodies, using neuron response centres to anticipate the arousing and melancholy sounds from a musical piece.
Music gives the brain a chance to decouple from other stuff that is going on. Regular mindful listening, or even better, learning to play an instrument, causes the brain to concentrate on the task, forming new neurological pathways and connections. Because the brain uses many different centres when processing music, age-related deterioration can be slowed down. Recent studies suggest that learning to play an instrument can delay the onset of dementia. Improving memory and motor function are two other really important aspects of musical practice, and again these help to slow-down age-related issues.
Learning to play an instrument is not, of course, for everyone. But you don’t have to be learning to play to benefit from the healing qualities of music. Even if you just set aside 20 minutes a few times a week to listen and destress to your favourite tunes, it will have a beneficial impact on your emotions. I run musical therapy sessions online and people often say to me how they feel energised after practicing musical mindfulness.
I guess my final point is, why do we enjoy music? Well perhaps it is because it makes us feel good, and if we feel good, our mental health is usually good too.
I am a real fan of the blues (ironic, I know!), and I can’t wait for the jazz festival to start in Scotland. Apparently, in Aberdeen there are over 30 events planned in March, and some of those feature international blues vocalists and bands.
Let me know if music has helped you to relax in a mindful way.
A Helping Hand Counselling 