Written by Cassi Haggard, Staff Writer

Turning on music when you’re relaxing, driving, or working around the house might seem like an unimportant habit, just noise to avoid boredom. But listening to music is also a great way to exercise your brain. Music can boost both your memory and mood. 

In 2024, a group of 50-80-year-olds were polled about the role music plays in their life. Almost everyone said music was beneficial, with 75% saying it helped with stress and relaxation. In the same poll, 65% of the participants said it helped with memory.¹

Music and your mind

Music connects numerous parts of the brain, areas that evoke emotions and memories based on life experiences. Several important areas of the brain engage with music, including the hippocampus, amygdala, as well as the auditory, prefrontal and motor cortex.² 

The music you choose matters. Switching between familiar and new music changes the areas of the brain affected. Listening to familiar music activates the area of the brain associated with explicit memory systems, the parts of the brain that recall facts and memories.³ On the other hand, when you listen to new music it connects with the part of the brain associated with implicit memory, areas connected to the ability to learn skills and develop habits.³

Listening to a mix of old favorites and new-to-you music may help you recall your personal memories as well as develop pathways in your brain that help keep your mind sharp as you age.

Different benefits of music

Listening to music can have many benefits in your life. Here are three ways music is beneficial as part of a whole-health focused lifestyle:

Memory

Music and memory are intertwined. From recalling your past to rehabilitation, music has the potential to help your memory in several ways. Studies show music therapy may help recover episodic memory, a type of long-term memory tied to past experiences. For example, when Alzheimer's patients hear a familiar song, it helps connect them to memories using parts of the brain unaffected by the disease.⁴ Learn more tips to help boost your brain.

Mood

If you’re trying to relax, music is one way to help find your inner calm. Listening to music has been shown to reduce cortisol levels and lower heart rate.⁵ Additionally, it can improve your immune system and help you connect socially.⁵

Social Connection

Many seniors struggle with social isolation. Attending musical concerts, dance classes, joining a choir, or learning an instrument can help seniors stay more connected to their community. Check to see if nearby senior centers, religious organizations, social clubs, or non-profits have any concerts or classes.

Adding more music to your life

Now that you know the benefits of music, you may wonder how to use music in your own life. Here are several ways to make music part of your healthy habits.

·       Playing music - Creating music, rather than just listening, is an excellent choice to care for your mind and memory. Older adults who are musicians show decreased anxiety as well as improved working memory.⁶

·       Singing - Joining a choir or music group may improve your mood and decrease loneliness.⁷

·       Dancing - Not only is dancing an enjoyable social event, but it may also improve your mood and be a workout for your brain as well as your body.⁸

The human brain has a special relationship with music. Incorporating music into your life may help boost your memory, form connections in your brain, and enhance your mental health. Even if you’ve never sang or played an instrument in the past, see if you can join a choir, dance group, or other musical social club. If nothing is available in your area, listening to the radio and creating playlists is another great way to add more music into your life. Online tutorials and guides can help you learn instruments. 

Explore how to add music to your life, whether through attending concerns, seeking out new artists, or joining a social group. Not only is music enjoyable, but it may also help both your physical and mental health to improve the quality of your life.

Sources:

• University of Michigan. “The Sound of Music.” National Poll on Healthy Aging, Aug. 2023, https://www.healthyagingpoll.org/reports-more/report/sound-music.
• UCLA Health. “How Music Therapy Helps Older Adults.” UCLA Health, 1 Apr. 2025, https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/how-music-therapy-helps-older-adults.
• Dolan, Eric W. “Neuroscience Study Shows Different Brain Reactions to Music Based on Song Familiarity.” PsyPost, 15 May 2024, https://www.psypost.org/neuroscience-study-shows-different-brain-reactions-to-music-based-on-song-familiarity/.
• National Institute on Aging. “Could ‘Musical Medicine’ Influence Healthy Aging?” National Institute on Aging, 25 May 2023, https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/could-musical-medicine-influence-healthy-aging.
• Heshmat, Shahram. “6 Ways Music Can Lift Your Mood.” Psychology Today, 14 Dec. 2021, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/science-of-choice/202112/6-ways-music-can-lift-your-mood.
• Sihvonen, Aleksi J., et al. “The Transformative Power of Music: Insights into Neuroplasticity, Health, and Disease.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 14, 2023, Article 11615735, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11615735/.
• National Institute on Aging. “Could ‘Musical Medicine’ Influence Healthy Aging?” National Institute on Aging, 25 May 2023, https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/could-musical-medicine-influence-healthy-aging.
• Harvard Medical School. “Dancing and the Brain.” Harvard Medicine Magazine, Winter 2015, https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/publications-archive/brain/dancing-brain.