Music and Healthiness
Health promotion is a socio-political cross-sectional task – in which music plays a particularly effective role!
Sounds can promote physical and mental health and be healing – in early childhood developmental phases as well as for teenagers, adults or in old age and illness. But a life with and for music can also cause physical and psychological suffering: keyword performance anxiety or tendonitis. The interactions between music and health, for example in the areas of developmental psychology, prevention and dementia, but also music physiology and musicians' health, are as diverse as they are fascinating.
It is long overdue to accentuate the positive potential of music for a healthy society more strongly in terms of cultural policy and to establish appropriate support measures, for example for health insurance companies to cover the costs of music therapy services. This is what the German Music Council is committed to!
Symposium about „Music and Healthiness“
On 18 October 2024, the German Music Council organised a symposium on ‘Music and Health’ in cooperation with Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin at the Katholische Akademie Berlin. The conference focussed on health promotion through music, music therapy, music physiology and musicians' health with keynote speeches, practical examples, panel discussions and debates.
The program of the conference can be found here.
Resolution
As part of the 2024 symposium, the resolution ‘Music and health - more targeted promotion and utilisation of potential for the body, mind and community!’ was drawn up and subsequently adopted by the General Assembly of the German Music Council.
Live Stream
Impressions
Poster Presentations
Presentations
Video message from Sabine Dittmar MdB, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Health
Contributors
Dr. rer. medic. Antonia Bendau
Volker Bernius
© Iris Fischer
AC Coppens
© Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Prof. Dr. med. habil. Philipp P. Caffier
Theresa Demandt
Bernhard Deutz
© Foto Meyer
Dr. med. Dipl- Mus. Isabel Fernholz
© Stefan Hoederath
Katja Frei
Jan-Christian Hübsch
© Kappert-Gonther & Trutschel
Dr. Kirsten Kappert-Gonther, MdB
© Wiebke Peitz
Prof. Dr. Martin E. Kreis
© Kerstin Flake
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Claudia Männel
Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Mürbe
© Stefan Gieren
Prof. Dr. Lutz Neugebauer
Prof. Oliver Peters
© Nico Rademacher
Cordula Reiner-Wormit
Prof. Dr. Alexander Schmidt
© Anna Clarks
Prof. Dr. sc. mus. Jan Sonntag
© Britt Schilling
Prof. Dr. med. Dr. phil. Claudia Spahn
Dr. med. Gert Tuinmann
Music is Medicine!
More and more scientific studies prove the positive effects of the arts on human health - whether in the field of prevention, therapy or rehabilitation. Music can promote the healing powers of the human being and accelerate the healing process. Music can increase concentration, motivate people to exercise, help them fall asleep or contribute to more serenity and resilience. Making music together promotes social and cultural participation and thus also well-being. One possible consequence: stress and anxiety can be reduced.
The fact that the use of music can also have concrete effects from a medical point of view is proven above all by findings from the field of neurological and psycho-pathological disease fields. For example, side effects of cancer treatment such as drowsiness, loss of appetite, shortness of breath and nausea can be reduced by music. A WHO/Europe Report from November 2023 therefore provides suggestions on how art can be successfully integrated into health systems to complement the prevention or treatment of diseases.