“Listening to music has a positive impact on our health, by helping us recover faster when we experience stress, and through the reduction of the stress hormone cortisol, to help us achieve a calm state or homeostasis.”
--Alex Doman, Music Producer and author of Healing at the Speed of Sound

We all have that one playlist or song that's like a time capsule, taking us back to some moment in the past. Music evokes a wide range of emotions, from joy to sadness, pain to healing, love to grief, and many more.

The idea of music as a healing influence dates back to Ancient Greece, where people would use soothing sounds to enhance the connection between the body and mind.

Music therapy may be especially helpful for managing conditions like anxiety, depression, and PTSD, as well as neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s. It may also support aspects of children's development, including learning, behavior, and emotional regulation.

Music therapy falls into two main categories — active and receptive. In active therapy, you create a piece of music or learn to play a musical instrument. (If your therapist recommends this form of music therapy, these hand-strength exercises may help with the physical aspect of playing.)

Receptive music therapy, on the other hand, is less demanding. It involves listening to music and discussing it to help process your emotions. In a typical session, your therapist may play a song and ask you to analyze its lyrics.

What Is the Impact of Music on Our Lives?
What's something you do every time you’re going through a hard season of your life, celebrating a milestone, or want to reminisce about something in the past? Chances are, music is involved in some way, shape, or form.

Music is a universal language that has shaped cultures for centuries and will undoubtedly continue to do so. But have you ever stopped to think about just how much of an impact it has on the human experience? Or wondered what everyday life would be like without your favorite compositions — or worse, without music at all?

"I tend to use my music as therapy, in a way." ~ Sarah Barthel