Music therapy has been used across a variety of settings by utilising active and receptive interventions methods.
Within the broader men’s health space; music therapy has been demonstrated in clinical studies to reduce blood pressure, asthma symptoms, and pain associated with prostate biopsy procedures.
A narrative review of music therapy for depression found that music therapy was affordable, easy to implement and effective for patients. An Israeli longitudinal study examining group music therapy for people with mental health conditions, revealed that social skills, emotional states and group cohesion were improved with long-term music therapy sessions.
Music therapy has the benefit of being delivered in-person, within a group setting or via telehealth. A Canadian pilot study into telehealth delivery of music therapy to children with autism demonstrated improvements in motor skills after just a 2 week period.
Music & men study
A qualitative research study led by a researcher from Örebro University, Sweden sought, ‘to investigate how older men who are risk of loneliness, interact in a group setting with music’.
This study involved a total of 16 music listening sessions with a group of older men lasting 90 minutes per session. The music in each session was chosen by the participants themselves, with a trained music therapist facilitating the men’s group.
Study participants
A total of 8 Swedish men participated in this research.
- The men were aged between 64-86 years of age.
- The men were from a variety of working class and educational backgrounds.
- 7 men were retired, and one man was long-term unemployed.
- One was married, two had relationships living-apart-together, one was widowed, two divorced and two never married.
Following analysis of these men’s responses, three themes emerged which are discussed below. All quotes have been taken directly from the original research.
Theme 1: Choosing a positive mood.
All men reported enjoying participating in the music sessions group. Most men reported loneliness and an absence of a single close friend despite the diversity of social backgrounds between them.
Within the music session, men often elected to play music which was up-tempo. This often had positive effects on the group, as one man described,
“When I listen to music, I forget to be sad, which is nice. I want to forget that. Life has been hard, but music is great”
Music choices by the men were often observed as a means to engage other men in conversations or act as a conduit for discussion. For example, some men used the introduction of a new or lesser known song to the group as a way to inform others and provide knowledge about the artist or band.
Theme 2: Facts over self-disclosure.
Most men chose to speak about facts and narratives regarding the music rather than link them to personal experiences and memories, which leaned into traditional masculine norms of avoiding emotional disclosure.
Often disclosures related to life-course stages, but not specifically around how they were feeling during that time. When prompted by the music therapist to discuss how a particular song related to his life, one man rebuked by saying,
“my family is none of anybody’s business”
These older men seemed wary of disclosure, particularly in a (new) group setting,
“I mean, everyone who feels, like me, a little weary of life, it’s well hidden, seldom comes to the surface. (I) sometimes try to say something but get no response. So I just let it pass”.
Some men later disclosed to the music therapist that developing closeness within the group was difficult, with the men’s group described as,
“eight atoms, each one in his own world”
Theme 3: Empathy and identification.
However, the majority of men reported feeling appreciative about participating in these music sessions activities. Indeed, they insisted the sessions went longer than the originally scheduled 8 sessions (up to a total of 16 sessions).
Interestingly, men demonstrated empathy when discussing a piece of music rather than towards each other. For example, after listening to a particular sad song, one man expressed,
“…you could hear the grief in her voice . . . You hear. you don’t have to understand what she says, you can hear what she is singing about anyway . . . and I think you feel, that, “oh, she’s suffering”.
Study conclusion
The researcher of this study concluded by observing that, ‘this qualitative study has demonstrated that older men in a music listening group experienced listening to, and discussing music as uplifting, stimulating and meaningful, which is noteworthy given the reluctance many older men have to engage in organised social activities’.
‘However, the interaction and communication between the participants has highlighted the dual need to recognise traditional, gendered socialisation patterns amongst older men…’
Expert Opinion: Dr. Christophe E. Jackson PhD, DMA, PA-C, Clinician, Musician, Scientist & Engineer.
Music predates written and spoken language, playing a central role in the evolution of both brain function and culture. Anthropological and archaeological evidence shows that music has long been used in ritual, communication, and the transmission of cultural identity and history. From early bone flutes to ceremonial drumming and communal song, music helped shape the social structures of early human communities.
From a neurological perspective, music’s influence extends far beyond its roots in early survival. While early hominids may have relied on sound recognition to detect threats, the evolution of music in the brain reveals a more profound trajectory. Music engages a “whole-brain” network, simultaneously activating regions associated with emotion (amygdala, limbic system), cognition (prefrontal cortex), memory (hippocampus), and motor control (cerebellum, basal ganglia). This distributed activation makes music one of the few experiences that synchronizes widespread neural activity.
Why does this matter? Because it helps explain music’s unique power to soothe trauma, enhance memory, and promote healing. Recent research in neuroscience has shown that music therapy can support recovery in stroke patients, improve cognitive function in dementia, and reduce anxiety in individuals with PTSD. What was once seen as an art form is now understood as a potent therapeutic tool, grounded in neuroplasticity and the brain’s ability to reorganize itself through sensory and emotional engagement.
Equally important is music’s role in social cohesion. Collective musical experiences — from chants and spirituals to gospel and jazz — have played essential roles in uniting marginalized communities, resisting oppression, and preserving cultural identity. In Indigenous Australian and African American traditions alike, music serves not just as entertainment but as living knowledge, passed down across generations. It encodes ancestral wisdom, spiritual practices, and resistance to colonization.
In a world increasingly divided by conflict, technology, and inequality, music offers a universal language of connection. Neuroscience gives us the tools to better understand how and why music moves us, while anthropology reminds us of its enduring role in the human story. Together, they reveal what many cultures have always known: music is medicine, memory, and meaning.
If we are to build healthier, more connected societies, we must elevate the role of music in public health, education, and community healing. Music is not a luxury. It is a neurological necessity that binds brain, body, and belonging. It is time our policies and research funding reflected this truth.
