Leveraging Music to Promote Well-being

Music has long been recognized as an important tool to share stories, express emotions, and cultivate playfulness. Music has been shown to support well-being by increasing positive emotions, and participation in music with others may strengthen social connections between individuals by promoting group coordination and cohesiveness (Croom, 2012). Creating or listening to music can easily be incorporated into a personalized self-care plan. In this play and well-being activity, a short presentation will be given on the well-being benefits of music. This will include a discussion on how music can be incorporated into self-care plans as well as how I incorporate music into my own self-care plan. Emphasis will be placed on the ability of all individuals to benefit from music regardless of their skill or ability.

After the presentation, attendees will be invited to share music with the group to improve group connections and encourage play. In this judgment-free and supportive environment, attendees are invited to play a song for the group using musical instruments or singing. Alternatively, attendees can also bring the name of their favorite song which will be audio shared with the rest of the group using Google Music and Zoom’s audio sharing technology. Attendees will also have the opportunity to discuss why they enjoy a particular song or describe the meaning behind the song. As an experienced musician, playing and creating music my entire life, I have seen first-hand the ability of music to connect people. I want to use my passion for music to encourage others to experiment and play with music to promote well-being.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how music can support well-being

2. Describe ways that music can be incorporated into a personalized self-care plan

3. Establish deeper connections with other conference attendees

References Croom, A. M. (2012). Music, neuroscience, and the psychology of well-being: a précis. Frontiers in Psychology, 2(393), 1-15.