I advance the hypothesis and provide supporting evidence for the claim that musical engagement can positively contribute to one’s living a flourishing life.

Since there has not yet been a substantive and up-to-date investigation of the possible role of music in contributing to one’s living a flourishing life, the purpose of this article is to conduct this investigation, thereby bridging the gap and stimulating discussion between the psychology of music and the psychology of well-being.

Music therapy doesn’t just soothe the soul — it can help people with a variety of health conditions feel and function better.

Characterized by personally tailored music interventions such as singing, songwriting, playing an instrument, listening to music, or moving to the beat, music therapy strikes a chord in many areas of medicine. Evidence increasingly suggests it helps people better manage disease symptoms and treatment side effects by curbing stress, soothing pain, promoting sleep, and boosting focus.

“Music connects you to a part of yourself that’s well, and that’s true no matter what patient population we’re working with,” Kubicek says. “Music remains, no matter the challenges a person is facing.”

According to a growing body of research, listening to or making music affects the brain in ways that may help promote health and manage disease symptoms.

Performing or listening to music activates a variety of structures in the brain that are involved in thinking, sensation, movement, and emotion. These brain effects may have physical and psychological benefits.

Increasing evidence suggests that music-based interventions may be helpful for health conditions that occur during childhood, adulthood, or aging. However, because much of the research on music-based interventions is preliminary, few definite conclusions about their effects have been reached. The preliminary research that has been done so far suggests that music-based interventions may be helpful for anxiety, depressive symptoms, and pain associated with a variety of health conditions, as well as for some other symptoms associated with dementia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and other conditions.

Attacks on Lebanon Persist, Reuters
More than 1/4 of Lebanon faces evacuation orders two weeks after Israel began incursions in the South, where today strikes on Beirut and municipal buildings in the provincial capital injured and killed many, including the suburb’s mayor.

Israel Assures It Won’t Hit Nukes or Oil, CNN
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured U.S. President Joe Biden that Israel’s planned counterstrike on Iran would avoid oil and nuclear sites, focusing solely on military targets.

U.S. Gives Israel Ultimatum For Gaza, Al Jazeera
As the Biden administration continues to face backlash for Israeli Support, the U.S. government sent an anti-missile system — and 100 soldiers to operate it — to Israel while also calling on Israel to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza or face military aid halts.

Betting Markets More Bullish on Trump, Yahoo! News
Betting markets on PredictIt and Polymarket show Trump as the favorite to win the 2024 presidential election, even as national polls indicate a tightening race with Harris slightly ahead or tied for the White House.

Cultural Signs Point to Harris Win, The Hill
Despite a tight race in the polls, cultural signals like endorsements from Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen, plus the popularity of Ted Lasso, point toward Harris having an edge over Trump

Record Low Trust in Media, Gallup
A Gallup poll shows trust in U.S. mass media remains at a record low of 31%, while more Americans express greater confidence in local rather than federal governments.

Can Trump Use Military on The “Left”?, ABC News
Trump said active-duty or National Guard troops could be used if he is elected against “radical left lunatics” he deems dangerous — a 200-year-old law that has historically been used dozens of times could allow this, but experts say it’s vague.