The Benefits of Music

Did you know that music can stop isolation, support communication, and even improve health? Yes, really!

Based on what we know about evolution, early humans likely expressed their emotions by gesturing and making sounds even before they developed effective speech1 . That means music would have been a precursor to speech. And it remains an excellent way to convey our thoughts and feelings! It opens the door to infinite conversations and fosters social relationships by bringing people around shared passions like musicians or musical genres.

Benefits for Speech Comprehension

Understanding speech in noise is often a barrier for hearing-impaired people. A few recent studies have shown that musical training may improve the brain’s ability to discern speech from noise2. This hypothesis is supported by other studies showing that music is an excellent way to stimulate the brain, involving verbal skills, frequency (pitch) discrimination, auditory memory, working memory, and directed attention3. However, further studies are needed to demonstrate precisely how music benefits speech comprehension.

Benefits for Tinnitus

Music can be an excellent tool for hearing-impaired people with tinnitus that affects their quality of life. It’s part of a widespread audiology treatment called sound therapy. It has three main objectives:

1 | Disguise the tinnitus to give temporary relief.

2 | Divert the person’s attention from the tinnitus

using a piece of music they like, as this quickly draws their attention and keeps them engaged the entire time. 3 | Promote relaxation to reduce stress levels since stress is one of the leading factors in discomfort caused by tinnitus.

People with hearing loss are more likely to suffer from hyperacusis, hypersensitivity to noise environment. Fortunately, sound therapy—stimulating the brain with sounds—is also the most effective treatment for hyperacusis.

Be Careful With Your Hearing

Even though music is beneficial, you need to keep your hearing health in mind when listening to it. Pay attention to the volume and duration. Here are three simple guidelines to follow:

1 | Adjust the volume of the music halfway between the minimum and maximum volume. 2 | If you’re wearing headphones, make sure that someone a metre away can’t hear the music.

3 | Use hearing protectors when you go to a concert.

Talk to your audiologist for more information.

Pier-Luc Trudeau

Audiologist practising in Boisbriand, Mirabel and Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts

References: 1. Trimble, M. & Hesdorffer D. (2017). Music and the brain: the neuroscience of music and musical appreciation. BJPsych international, Vol. 14. No. 2. p. 28–31. https://doi.org/10.1192/s2056474000001720 2. Miendlarzewska E.A. & Trost W. J. (2014). How musical training affects cognitive development: rhythm, reward and other modulating variables. Frontiers in Neuroscience. Vol. 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2013.00279 3. Worschech F, Marie D, Jünemann K, Sinke C, Krüger THC, Großbach M, Scholz DS,

Abdili L, Kliegel M, James CE and Altenmüller E. (2021). Improved Speech in Noise Perception in the Elderly After 6 Months of Musical Instruction.

Frontiers in Neuroscience. Vol. 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2021.696240