Music and health
Music and Wellbeing
Research by the Australian Music Therapy Association provides some fascinating insight into the impact of music on the human body, as it looks at the links between music-making and physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, from womb to tomb.
Did you know?
- A baby’s brain is wired for music while in the womb. The musicality of the mother’s voice creates an immediate and powerful bond and is pivotal to the infant’s survival.
- Learning a musical instrument impacts positively across most aspects of a child’s development
- It can also be particularly helpful in remedial learning for dyslexic children and, in the case of wind instruments, in breath control for children with asthma.
- Music-making – and listening choices! - are powerful forms of positive expression for adolescents.
- Music-making can help in alleviating depression and reducing anxiety and can help to encourage a positive attitude.
- People in even the most advanced stage of dementia can benefit from music, as familiar songs retain a place in our memory right to the end of life.
The campaign collaborates with the Australian Music Therapy Association (AMTA) on a national initiative to raise awareness about the links between music making and wellbeing: Making Music Being Well. For more info go to:
Read music therapy case studies from the pages of arts+medicine and arts+health magazines:
- Helen Shoemark's work researches the effect of the human voice on premature babies
- Annette Baron draws late-stage dementia patients out of isolation with music from their past
- Katrina McFerran reaches teens with eating disorders through lyrical explorations
- Jeanette Tamplin uses music therapy to help brain-injured patients reclaim their powers of speech
- Anja Tait's Darwin health service project unites black& white, staff and clients in an unforgettable choir
- Anne Horne-Thompson is helping to relieve acute anxiety in the terminally ill
Visit AMTA for more infoDo your bit and help build support. Send friends, families and colleagues to “musicplayforlife.org”
How to start a music program at school or improve the one you have. Download the School Lobby kit. FREE
Music. Play for Life is a not-for-profit initiative. Help make a difference through a tax-deductible donation. Donate here.
