Music has always been a go-to for lifting our spirits, but did you know classical music might take it a step further by actually helping treat depression?

Singing in a community choir is more than just a musical activity—it's a powerful therapeutic experience

Imagine a world where music serves as a powerful tool for healthy aging. Dr. Psyche Loui at Northeastern University explores how music strengthens brain connections, enhancing memory and emotions.

Professor Sarah Wilson explains how singing is a form of natural therapy in this video by ABC Classic. She highlights the effect that singing has on motor networks, listening networks, planning and organisational networks, memory, language, and emotional networks. Essentially, singing is a full workout for the brain!

Recent research suggests that music, especially preferred tunes, can serve as potent painkillers. A study conducted by Darius Valevicius from McGill University found that participants listening to their favourite tracks experienced significantly reduced pain intensity and unpleasantness compared to silence or scrambled sound.

This article dives into the history and enduring vitality of the Brisbane City Pops Orchestra who have recently celebrated their milestone 50th-anniversary performance. The orchestra boasts a diverse ensemble of musicians spanning generations, including members who have been involved since the beginning.

Researchers have tried to determine if certain genres of music are “better” than others for developing these vital life skills. This article highlights recent research into a genre you might not expect to have such positive impacts.

Imagine a music therapist and their patient wearing EEG caps. Imagine them working together and coming to a moment when the therapy was “working”. Imagine seeing the EEG signal suddenly change for the patient, and then seeing the same change in the therapist just afterwards.

We know that music listening and playing can change our mood. Sometimes it cheers us up, sometimes it makes it safe to feel sombre emotions, but did you ever wonder why? Now we know.

This is a brilliant article worth a full read, but here are some highlights for you from one of BBBs favourite researchers Professor Sarah Wilson from the University of Melbourne.

Music therapy and music learning are having a profound impact on the life and rehabilitation of people suffering from Parkinson’s disease. It is important to understand the difference between music therapy and music learning because sometimes they either look very similar, or one leads seamlessly into the other.

It has been widely publicised that the National Institute of Health (NIH) in the U.S. has just awarded the Sound Health Initiative $20 million over the next 5 years to look into the health and learning benefits of music and music learning.