Music as Medicine: How We Can Harness Its Therapeutic Power

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FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON MUSIC AND THE ORGANISED MIND

Music insinuates itself into our earliest memories; it is intimately connected to our emotional regulation and cognition; its shared rhythms and sounds are essential to our social behaviours. That is why we can remember songs word for word years later, or why certain music has the power to uplift us almost instantly. Music is more than a vehicle for entertainment and expression: it's also a powerful tool for lifelong health.

In Music and Medicine, bestselling author and neuroscientist Daniel Levitin delves into the latest research on the interaction of music, mood, health, and the biology of our brain. In it, he explains how music can lead to lasting improvements in our brain and body, increasing brain function and connectivity, boosting neuroplasticity and even strengthening our immune system. From promoting relaxation when we're stressed and supporting stroke victims to recover the ability to walk, improving memory for those suffering with Alzheimers’ Disease and helping manage chronic pain, music has an extraordinary therapeutic potential that is yet to be fully realised.

A work of dazzling ideas, cutting-edge research, and joyful celebration of the human mind, Music as Medicine will explain to you what we know, and how we can harness music to heal – helping us look forward and reimagine our lives.

© Daniel Levitin 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025