Music is more than entertainment.

It is intricately woven into our lives and bonded to our memories.

Every marriage ceremony begins and ends with music. The happy couple dance to that special song that brought them together – the soundtrack of their affection.

When a hero dies at a film’s climax, those sad violins resonate with our own heartstrings, and we feel the loss. Or maybe it’s a jubilant pop song that immediately takes us back to halcyon days of our youth, sitting on the beach with friends, listening to a piece of music that will forever be connected to that experience.

In these moments, music is more than just a pathway to nostalgia. It can literally improve your physical and mental health. Neuroscience now tells us that music affects our mood in startlingly powerful ways. We start the morning with the right song, and our attitude can be changed for the rest of the day. It can guide us to a healthier state-of-mind when we need it most.

It’s a powerful tool, and there are many ways to use it.

Keep an eye on the target

Research shows that music can help us focus. Maybe you listen to love songs to relax your mind as your work. Or maybe heavy metal helps you unwind. There is no right or wrong music, only the music that works for you.

Whether you listen to Mendelssohn or Mastodon, playing music in the background is one of the most effective ways to focus the mind.

Music to express yourself

Sometimes words are not enough. When this happens, we often turn to music. It has a way of speaking for us and reflecting back how we feel – an exercise in validation that we all need.

Many of us will frequently share music on social media to give those around us a clue to our emotional state. In this way, we are actually communicating our feelings to others without ever saying a word. In this way, music is both therapist and medication. We heal ourselves by sharing the music that speaks to what cannot be spoken.

Music as part of the creative process

Have you ever tried to create something based on the music you listen to? How many times have you written something, journaled something, because of the music that inspires you? This is the creative process at work.

In this way, we can explore new opportunities for self-expression, with music as our guide and guru. Try different kinds of music. Don’t limit yourself to what you know. The unfamiliar song can often lead us to new forms of self-expression, new ideas and new ways to care for our minds and bodies through music.

Unwind with music

In a world where everything moves so fast, we are often caught in the current, and forget to give our minds that most important vitamin: rest.

For thousands of years, human beings have used music to block our anxieties or to deal with them. It helps us understand our worries, stress and frustrations, to take ownership of them, and to transcend them.

It helps us detox, giving us a chance to be in the moment, to drift, to detach from the material world and enter the inner world, where we find all the strength we need to face what’s on the outside.

The power of suggestion

Do you have a lot on the to-do list? Are you facing a long day of cooking, cleaning, laundry, and all that remote work that continues to pile up?

You know what to do: Put on some music.

Listening to our favorite playlist relaxes and focuses, allowing us to forget for a moment the weight of all those tasks, and just take one step at a time. Before we know it, our work is accomplished, and without any of the stress that so often creeps up on us when we must face our thoughts in silence.

Conclusion

Music can and will improve your well-being.

At New School of Music, we can help guide you on that journey of creativity and self-care. We can give you the chance to create your own music, and learn how it can heal you and those around you.

Learning from master musicians gives you an edge, like the philosopher who finds the right mentor, or the artist who finds the right brush.

It’s your journey, so let’s follow the yellow-brick road together, and find ways to grow and heal along the way.