Making Music and Our Mental Health

By Tune Your Mood | Updated: 12th May, 2017 | 3 min read

Music can play a big part in our lives. Some of us listen to music. And some of us would music that is to make or write music or dance.

Musicians, dancers and song writers have said that music-ing is a way of:

expressing themselves
venting
relating and communicating their experiences thoughts and emotions to others
bringing people together
feeling better
thinking about things

Music-ing and Feeling Good!

Those who love to play a musical instrument, sing, join a band, orchestra or choir, write music or songs, and dance report that it’s:

really a good feeling when it sounds good.
a different experience playing (in a band) and dancing with other people.
a way of feeling like “I’ve achieved something”.
the feeling of being up on stage and making the crowd smile and clap.
letting go of energy in a beautiful way.

Music-making, dancing and composing give us opportunities to be part of a community – like being in a band, choir, orchestra. It helps us feel like we belong to something a bit bigger than ourselves. Being part of a group also helps to increase our sense of achievement and self-esteem. We feel good and proud to contribute to the group.

One young person said that being in an orchestra was like “all the different sections and everyone playing their little parts coming together”. Some have said that it gives them moments of “intense living”. Some even say that “you forget everything around you” like the nervousness of performing in front of an audience “just melts away”. For another, he “just want to let rip the dance moves” on stage. These musical experiences and expressions provide valuable ways to grow, develop and enjoy during teenage years, with positive consequences for adulthood.

When we feel good and valued by what we do, and that we’re part of our community, we also feel good about ourselves.

So if you already sing, play an instrument or dance, think about joining a choir, band or orchestra, or a dance crew. If you don’t, have you thought of having some lessons? How about writing your own songs and music? There are software programs that can help you get started, like Garageband.

However you music, be sure to enjoy it like these other young people do!

Download this factsheet

You can download a copy of this Making Music and our Mental health factsheet here.

For citing purposes:

Cheong-Clinch, C. & Goulding, L. (2014). Music listening and our Mental Health [factsheet]. http://www.tuneyourmood.com/useful-stuff/

Thanks to young people for their helpful feedback

Also check the related topics:

Music and our mental health Self Care