Harnessing the Power of Music for Health and Wellness

Music can get you moving, lift your mood, and even help you recall a memory, but can it improve your health? The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts have partnered to expand the scope of an initiative that NIH and the National Symphony Orchestra have been working on for several years.

Known as Sound Health Network (SHN), the partnership, in association with the National Endowment for the Arts and University of California San Francisco, aims to expand current knowledge and understanding of how listening, performing, or creating music involves intricate circuitry in the brain that could be harnessed for health and wellness applications in daily life. It will also explore ways to enhance the potential for music as therapy for neurological disorders, identify future opportunities for research, and create public awareness about how the brain functions and interacts with music.

SHN’s inaugural webinar, in February 2021, featured Jefri Franks, a mother and music therapy advocate who experienced firsthand the power of music during her daughter's treatment for cancer. She was joined by Sheri Robb, a music therapist, researcher, and member of the leadership team at the SHN, and Steven Holochwost, a developmental psychologist and musician, who spoke to the biological markers used to track the effectiveness of music therapy.

The organizers of SHN envision a network that engages a broad range of stakeholders, including scientists, music therapists, musicians, clinicians, patients, music and arts organizers, and the general public. The aim is to promote research at the intersections of music, neuroscience, health, and wellness, advancing the potential of music to improve people’s lives.