Music of Life

Highlights

A mother humming to her baby in the womb. A teenager listening to pop songs on her or his phone. These types of informal, everyday music are ubiquitous, usually cost nothing and rarely require any special skills. And yet, despite their apparent ordinariness, they can have profound impacts on the well-being and development of children and young people.

This project provides a unique overview of the evidence on the impact of informal music on children’s well-being and development.

• The physiological impact of informal music is perhaps clearest with babies and infants. Singing to babies has been shown to lower their heart rates, raise oxygen levels in their blood, ease feeding and reduce pain. 
• The mental and emotional impacts of informal music are evident in how babies respond when parents sing to them, which helps them to become calmer and to develop deeper emotional closeness with their caregivers. Later in life, listening to music can give children emotional comfort and strengthen their self-confidence and self-belief. Adolescents may use music strategically for emotional catharsis and to balance their moods. 
• Studies have also shown that music benefits cognitive and skills development. Singing to babies supports attention and language development. Listening to music – especially in groups such as in classrooms – can also improve children’s concentration, engagement and task performance.
• The sociocultural impact of informal music can be seen in group-based activities – such as singing in choirs and playing in orchestras – which have been shown to foster a sense of belonging and to support children and young people’s identity development. Listening to music, especially when children choose their own tracks and playlists, fosters agency, self-expression, belonging and social connection. Shared listening within families or peer groups functions as a bridge for communication, empathy and cultural continuity.

Informal music is a potent, but likely under-utilized, resource for well-being and development throughout childhood and adolescence. Parents and schools can easily integrate more music into everyday routines. Regardless of musical talent, the benefits remain.