Introduction
Scientific research into music therapy, especially for seniors, is a fairly new discipline. It was established as a profession only after World War II. But like music itself, music therapy has been around much longer than that. It is now believed that early man developed communication through singing (much like songbirds or whales) before speaking. Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras (famous for the Pythagorean Theorem) prescribed specific musical scales and
modes to cure various physical and psychological conditions as early as the fifth century BC.
So music therapy can be described as ubiquitous both in culture and in the individual. Culturally, music therapy might go back to the earliest civilizations in Africa. There is a lullaby sung by the Luo people of Africa that says “Rock, rock, rock…the baby who cries will be eaten by a hyena.” An infant who cried needed to be soothed and quieted, so music therapy was a matter of survival. And although most babies today don’t need to be quieted so as not to give away their location,
music therapy is still necessary for survival in some instances.
Studies have shown that lullaby music steadies the heart rate and breathing of premature babies and helps to improve their ability to feed. Babies who received lullaby therapy left the hospital sooner than those who did not.
So, virtually from the day we are born, we are exposed to some sort of music therapy. Music is present in nearly every aspect and major event in our lives. From learning your ABC’s to your senior prom, at weddings and funerals, music plays an important role in affecting how you think and feel. These effects of music have been leveraged for their therapeutic use in a more formalized and scientific way in recent times.
There are two main forms of music therapy: Passive therapy, which usually involves simply listening to music; and active therapy, which involves playing music or learning to play a musical instrument.
Passive Music Therapy
It is well known that music affects mood and emotions, and science supports this fact. There are lots of data that show the positive effects of music on both our mental and physical health. One research paper that I found by Parizek, et al., looked into music therapy and came up with some interesting conclusions:
- Music therapy had a significant and positive effect on anxiety and depression.
- Patients responded better to blood pressure medication if they listened to music.
- Music therapy can be used to “train” the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for calming and reducing stress in the body. This, in turn, can reduce hypertension, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, cardiovascular disease and other conditions.
- Not surprisingly, the type of music mattered. Classical baroque music increased the beneficial effects. Heavy metal music decreased it. Music by Mozart and Strauss was found to lower blood pressure. ABBA‘s did not. Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor had the strongest effect.
On a personal level, I had an uncle who suffered from dementia in his later years of life. He had a hard time remembering a conversation that we had ten minutes earlier, but, if he heard an old jazz record from seventy years ago, he could tell you whether it was Charlie Parker or John Coltrane with no hesitation. Although there isn’t any hard data on how passive music therapy can help reverse or prevent cognitive decline or dementia, listening to music may someday give science a clue into how memory is stored and retrieved. But for now, active music therapy is the best way to keep your brain healthy and prevent cognitive decline.
Active Music Therapy
When I was growing up, I felt fortunate because my parents didn’t force me to take piano lessons like many of my friends did. But today I wish that they had. Studying music has enduring cognitive benefits such as improved concentration, memory, and self-discipline. Evidence shows that older adults who played music throughout their lives show less cognitive decline than those, like me, that didn’t. But it may not be too late.
In a study of older adults (ages 60-89) by Bugos, et al., it was found that individual piano instruction (1/2 hour per week along with three hours of practice per week) may enhance executive function (decision making), improve working memory and increase brain processing speed. Active music therapy is also effective because it integrates many areas of the brain, which leads to cognitive benefits not related to music. For example, verbal skills are enhanced when you take piano lessons. So learning to play music is a whole-brain experience, and the whole brain benefits.
Maureen Matthes
Someone who knows the whole-brain benefits of music therapy is my friend, Maureen Matthes. Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing Maureen, who has been both a performer and writer of music for most of her life. She began taking classical piano lessons at nine years of age and started writing her own music when she was 15. She attended the University of California, Santa Barbara as both a dance and psychology major and later earned her teaching credential. After finishing school, she taught dance as an arts instructor in the Santa Barbara and Los Angeles school systems for over 20 years. She also had a series of four bands, as both a singer and songwriter, playing nightly in clubs in the San Fernando Valley.
After retiring from teaching in 2019, Maureen took some time off for some well-deserved rest and recuperation before she resumed her journey as a professional musician. She fulfilled a long-time dream of recording some of her own songs while being backed studio musicians in Memphis, Tennessee. The results of these sessions can be found on her website, maureenmatthes.com, as well as on most streaming
Besides being a singer-songwriter, piano player and producer, Maureen describes herself as a spiritual seeker and life-long learner. She has first-hand knowledge of the power of both passive and active music therapy. “The healing power of music is profound,” she says. “It can elevate or gentle emotions, calm you or get you excited.” Furthermore, “Listening to live music can create a sense of community and belonging from the group experience.” She also points out that music can heal by helping you feel your feelings. Listening to sad music, for example, can evoke a sad memory that allows you to process and release the feeling and move through it.
And as a teacher of music and dance, Maureen taught life skills such as discipline and perseverance that her students will carry with them in all aspects of their lives. Music also informs students about order, structure and sequence, all of which are essential for the proper development of the brain in young children. From dance, students learn social skills such as partnering work, collaboration and something that many young people today lack, the importance of eye-contact.
Maureen says that active music therapy might take a different approach with older adults, who tend to have a deeper appreciation of music and its effects. For those stuck in a life without a vision or motivation, she recommends taking up a music program such as piano lessons while also journaling your thoughts and feelings. Music can spur memories of something that brought you pleasure in the past and lead to a new direction or purpose. She has found that this technique has
worked to help her find meaning and purpose in both her own career and in her retirement.
Maureen feels that she has found her passion or calling in her music. She writes songs with a specific purpose, whether it is to honor veterans of war or for a wedding celebration. This has led to a new confidence and sense of finding her own voice. “I do like what I’m recording and I have something to say,” she affirmed. And she feels that her songs are better than ever. Her lyrics have much more depth than before and her music is better “by osmosis” from singing the music of Mozart and Handel.
But that doesn’t mean that she is satisfied. She admits that she had been working on one song for over nine years until she finally got the bridge right! That song is Mama Tango (you can listen to it on the Sweet Love EP here). And she is also working on aspects of the music business that are not necessarily considered music therapy but which are rewiring her brain and warding off
cognitive decline. She is gaining technical expertise by learning things that weren’t around in the 1980’s – streaming platforms, social media marketing and advertising, for example. But she also feels that she has come full circle, recording many songs in the digital era that she recorded in the analog 80’s.
And she is looking into future endeavors such as synch-licensing her music, being a cultural ambassador by teaching American music and dance abroad or even performing with the USO. She feels grateful that she is able to give service through dance and music and hopes to contribute well into the future.
So what advice does Maureen have for those wanting to learn music later in life? “Have fun and explore something new,” she says. And “be kind and compassionate to yourself. We don’t have to be on a downward trajectory. We can be even better!”
Conclusion
It is well established now both historically and scientifically that music is good for you as you age. Playing music increases neuroplasticity and reduces the risk of cognitive decline. It’s another valuable tool to add to your toolkit of things that you can do to maintain brain health (for other tips, see my post “How to Maintain Brain Health for Seniors: 4 Science-Based Tools“). The social engagement of playing music with and for others enhances healthy ageing. The self-confidence gained from learning a new piece of music contributes to a healthy self-esteem. And listening to music evokes strong feelings and emotions, intense pleasure and an escape from everyday life. There aren’t very many things that feel so good and are good for you, so whether you like to sing, dance, play an instrument or simply like to listen, make sure that you get a dose of music therapy every day!