Positive Memories Boost Musicians’ Performance by Reframing Stress

Summary: A new study reveals that recalling positive memories before stepping on stage can significantly boost musicians’ performance. Professional wind instrumentalists who reflected on positive experiences showed higher nervous system…

Music Sparks Social Imagination and Eases Loneliness

Summary: A large-scale study with 600 participants shows that music can genuinely evoke feelings of companionship by sparking social imagination. When participants listened to folk music, they imagined vivid social…

Breathwork and Music Trigger Psychedelic-Like Bliss in the Brain

Summary: New research shows that practicing breathwork while listening to music can induce profound altered states of consciousness similar to those caused by psychedelics. Using self-reports and brain imaging, scientists…

Music After Learning Boosts Memory, But Only at the Right Emotion Level

Summary: A new study reveals that listening to music immediately after an experience can enhance memory—if the emotional response is just right. Researchers found that volunteers who experienced moderate arousal…

When Music Meets Attention: How Background Tunes Shape Focus

Summary: A new study compared background music listening habits between young adults with and without ADHD, revealing distinct patterns in when and what they listen to. ADHD-screened participants reported more…

When Music Falls Flat: Why Some Brains Don’t Enjoy Music

Summary: Some people feel absolutely nothing when listening to music—and not because of bad taste. A rare condition called specific musical anhedonia involves a disconnect between the brain’s auditory and…

Music May Help Kids Understand Emotions, Even Without Empathy

Summary: Music plays a powerful role in how we perceive and express emotion—and a new study finds that even very young children can match emotions in music to facial expressions.…

Brain Tracks Emotional Transitions Through Music

Summary: New research reveals how the brain navigates emotional transitions, using music as a tool to map changing neural patterns. Scientists found that emotional responses in the brain depend heavily…

Nostalgic Tunes Trigger Stronger Urge to Dance Than Familiar Hits

Summary: A new study reveals that nostalgia plays a powerful role in making us want to dance, even more so than familiarity with a song alone. Researchers asked young adults…

Singing to Infants Boosts Mood and Bonding

Summary: A new randomized study found that when parents sing more frequently to their infants, both babies and caregivers experience measurable improvements in mood and wellbeing. The study involved 110…