Results from an ongoing study strongly indicate that musical activity carries significant wellness benefits for older adults, according to study leader Dr. Gene Cohen. The research project, called “The Impact of Professionally Conducted Cultural Programs on Older Adults,” is looking at a group of seniors averaging 80 years of age taking part in chorale programs at The Levine School of Music in Washington, DC. The study began in December, 2001.

After two years of measurement against a control group of similar individuals, the music participants reported better health and fewer falls; showed a slower rate of increase in doctor visits than nonparticipants; increased medication usage at a significantly lower rate than nonparticipants; showed greater improvements in depression, loneliness, and morale; and increased social interaction, while nonparticipants decreased interaction.

“What’s significant is that the music making seniors actually showed significant improvement in categories such as falls, social interaction, and overall health, where we might have expected only to slow the decline in these areas,” Cohen says.

Cohen explains that his research indicates that old age, once considered a period of decline and difficulty, is actually a period of creativity and new potential in the human lifespan. He notes that medical, emotional, and social problems associated with old age can be controlled with interventions that should include active participation in music and the arts.

This article appeared in Making Music Magazine (September/October 2006).