Live Music: Good For the Soul
Attending concerts could improve your mental health and help you live longer
By Reagan Tallmadge, Contributing Writer
As the first chord of Miley Cyrus’ opening song echoed through the air at Lollapalooza, I immediately felt the stress of the last year disappear. I hadn’t realized what I was missing until I finally got to experience the magic of live music again.
Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the whole world, including the live music industry. While quarantine and isolation caused many mental health issues, the deprivation from concerts did not help most people’s situations. Now that the world is starting to open up again, the entertainment industry is re-emerging and live performances are coming back. Ticket sales are reaching record levels as the cry for live shows is at an all-time high. Ticketmaster, for example, reported that average ticket prices are up 10 percent from 2019 levels (Whitten, 2021).
In my opinion, everything's better with live music… Dinner, theater, festivals, parties, the list could go on. The reopening of the live music industry is exciting in itself, but concerts have also been linked to improved emotional wellbeing. A study conducted by Patrick Fagan, a behavioral science professor, found the majority of people who listened to music with others felt happier and healthier than if they listened alone (Brand, 2018). They also reported an increase in feelings of self-worth, closeness to others and mental stimulation.
In addition to these benefits, research has concluded that enjoying a concert once every two weeks increases happiness levels, which could lengthen one’s life by up to nine years (Emling, 2018). I never thought going to a concert would add years to my life, but I can’t argue with science. A correlation has also been found between spending just 20 minutes watching live performances and increased moods by more than double the amount that yoga and walking dogs can during 20 minutes (Steingold, 2018). So, everything really is better with live music.
Although many of these studies are of recent popularity, the benefits of music in clinical settings have already been studied extensively. Music can reduce stress by “reducing the production of cortisol and increasing the release of stress-reducing neurotransmitters,” and also “help improve mood by increasing production of dopamine, serotonin and endorphins” (Healing Benefits: Benefits of Music for General Public, n.d.). Music also promotes healthy blood circulation, stabilized heart rate and a strengthened immune system. In addition to medication and other treatments, music is able to help patients manage and cope with pain as well. Personally, I like to listen to music as a way to wind down after a hectic day or sing along in the car as loud as possible on my way home from a particularly draining event. While there are so many benefits to music alone, live concerts offer many other social and emotional advantages beyond what has been studied in the past.
Now that live music is possible again, I encourage you to go experience that unmatched mood boost. Help yourself and your friends by going out and treating yourselves to a much-needed concert! Click here to read about upcoming live music in the Madison area!
Sources:
Brand, D. (2018). Going To Concerts May Help You Live Longer, Research Finds. Global Citizen.
Emling, S. (2018). Seeing Live Music May Help You Live Longer. AARP.
Healing Benefits: Benefits of Music for General Public. (n.d.). Listen for Life.
Steingold, D. (2018). Concert Therapy: Live Music Better For Mental Health Than Yoga, Study Finds. Study Finds.
Whitten, S. (2021). Concert sales are reaching record levels, despite surging delta variant. NBC News.