Helene M. Langevin, M.D.
November 28, 2023

Its no surprise that music can affect us, both physically and mentally. A song can bring up vivid memories, keep our feet moving during a strenuous workout, or help us unwind after a long day. I play the piano, and Im especially fond of the meditative compositions of Philip Glass. When I set my fingers on the keys to play one of his works, I can feel just how deeply the relationship runs between music and our minds and bodies. Indeed, a growing body of research is telling us that our health can be affected by listening to or making music. This raises a critical research question that the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) is working to explorehow do we harness the power of music to help manage different conditions or symptoms?

Im excited to dig into the many aspects behind this important question at our upcoming workshop, Music as Medicine: The Science and Clinical Practice, on December 1415, 2023. The 2-day event will ground us in what weve learned in recent years and chart a path forward for growing both the research and the research workforce equipped to drive deeper scientific understanding of this topic.