How Active Music-Making Benefits Older Adults

Research has produced consistent evidence that music can play a powerful role in promoting health and well-being among older people. Active participation in musical activities helps build social bonds, provides enjoyment, fosters personal growth, and gives a sense of empowerment. It can also aid recovery from depression and support emotional stability in later life. With life expectancy at sixty-five rising rapidly and many older adults facing isolation or depression, understanding how music can improve their quality of life becomes especially important.

This article examines a range of evidence on the specific benefits of active music-making for older people, presents a case study drawn from the Music for Life Research Project, identifies common barriers to participation, and discusses the implications for older adults and those who care for them.

The changing context of aging

Developed nations are experiencing major demographic shifts. In the United Kingdom, the number of people over sixty-five is projected to double by 2071 to 21.3 million. By 2020, the over-eighty population in the UK is expected to grow by a quarter. Globally, the number of people aged eighty-five and older is climbing fastest of all: between 2000 and 2010 alone, the centenarian population in England and Wales rose by 84 percent. Worldwide, centenarians may number one million by 2030.

These changes bring challenges. The Relatives and Residents Association in the UK estimates that at least 8 percent of older people in care settings live in social isolation, while rates of depression among the elderly are increasing. In this environment, initiatives that support well-being and productivity in later life are urgently needed, and music-making is gaining attention as a means to promote positive health and quality of life.

Understanding the Third and Fourth Ages

Sociologists often divide later life into a "Third Age" and a "Fourth Age." Third Age seniors typically enjoy independence, autonomy, good cognitive function, and a sense of well-being. The Fourth Age, by contrast, is often portrayed as a period of decline, dependency, and reduced subjective well-being. Laslett, who coined these terms, saw the Third Age as a quality of life rather than a fixed chronological range. Nevertheless, scholars frequently apply age bands to explore the experiences of different cohorts. Schuller and Watson suggest defining the Third Age as ages fifty to seventy-five and the Fourth Age as seventy-five and older — the fastest growing age group in the UK.

Music and well-being in later life

Regardless of where the boundaries fall, there is strong evidence that engagement with music can enhance quality of life throughout these later stages, whether one is cognitively impaired or healthy, musically trained or a complete novice. Hays and Minichiello conducted focus groups and in-depth interviews with thirty-eight people aged sixty to ninety-eight, including novices, amateurs, and professionals. Both listening to music and making music were consistently linked to social and emotional well-being, serving as a channel for self-expression and connection with others. No differences emerged by musical background: music held meaning for everyone.

In a Swedish qualitative study of twenty women aged sixty to eighty-three, singing, playing instruments, listening, and dancing were described as sources of self-recognition and comfort. One participant called music-making "a way to survive," another "reviving," and a third "a breathing hole in my life."

An early experimental study by VanderArk, Newman, and Bell involved forty-three nursing home residents aged sixty to ninety-five. The experimental group attended music sessions twice weekly for five weeks, singing familiar songs and using simple percussion. Outcomes included significantly improved life satisfaction, musical self-concept, and attitudes toward music compared with the control group.

Coffman surveyed fifty-two members of a senior citizens' wind band and found that social interaction, enrichment, and a sense of accomplishment were tied to participation. Southcott performed a phenomenological case study of older choir participants, uncovering feelings of purpose, fulfilment, personal growth, and opportunities to sustain social relationships. Interest in the links between music and well-being among older people has grown steadily.

Musical growth is still possible

Later-life musical benefits are not limited to well-being. There is evidence that people can continue to develop musically as they age. While some band directors report perceived limits to progression, a number of studies demonstrate that older adults can acquire increasingly complex musical skills. Gibbons tested musical aptitude in 182 non-institutionalized individuals over sixty-five and found no significant difference between the youngest and oldest on Gordon's Music Aptitude Profile. She concluded that older people retain their innate capacity for musical growth. Taylor adds that the brain's continuing plasticity and receptivity to instrumental learning can compensate for age-related declines in memory, motor skills, sight, and hearing. Krampe showed that when older pianists invested time in deliberate practice, there was no evidence of age-related decline in expertise.

The role of listening

Research among healthy older adults shows that listening to music brings positive emotions and greater relaxation. Bygren, Konlaan, and Johansson conducted a longitudinal study of 12,675 Swedes and reported that attending cultural events, including music listening, had a positive effect on survival. Laukka surveyed five hundred people aged sixty-five to seventy-five and found that listening was part of many daily routines, a frequent source of positive affect, and positively linked to psychological well-being. Participants gained the most benefit when they used music to regulate mood, shape identity, exercise agency, and seek enjoyment.

Music and social connection

Active group music-making in community settings may provide an especially powerful pathway to health and well-being in the Third and Fourth Ages. Social networks support continued engagement in optional and obligatory activities, can affect physiological and psychological health, lower the risk of dementia, and promote happiness. Networks centered on creative, active leisure such as music making have been found to aid recovery from depression and sustain personal well-being. Intergenerational group music activities, as well as community music education programs, also deliver social and emotional benefits for older participants.

Songwriting

Allison conducted an ethnographic study in a US nursing home where 430 residents had access to concerts, choirs, visiting musicians, sing-a-longs, and worship music. She focused on a songwriting group of about thirty members whose average age was eighty-seven. The group met every four to six weeks for intensive sessions, and physical and cognitive functioning ranged from total independence to significant dependence and dementia. Through a collaborative, respectful process the group aimed to write good songs, and participants drew on lifelong experiences. Allison observed increasing animation and ownership as sessions went on. The songwriting group channeled creative and intellectual stimulus, enabling participants to remain vibrant, productive, and able to learn new skills while creating tangible outputs that became part of the residential community's cultural life.

Singing

A review by Clift and colleagues of forty-eight studies on group singing, including eight samples of over-fifties, suggested that the activity improves social and personal well-being, encourages social participation, and reduces anxiety and depression. Cohen and coworkers studied 166 participants with an average age of eighty across one year of singing workshops and performances. Compared with controls, the singers reported fewer health issues, fewer falls, fewer doctor visits, and lower medication use. Hillman surveyed seventy-five UK residents who had joined a community singing project at retirement age or later; 71 percent had been involved for seven to eleven years. They attributed improvements in overall quality of life and no deterioration in physical health to their musical participation.

Langston and Barrett interviewed twenty-seven members of a Tasmanian community choir, most of whom were retired. The choir functioned as a strong community anchor, generating trust, learning, interaction, participation, civic engagement, and fellowship. Wood's ethnographic study of a choir comprising twenty-two older Russian immigrants, average age sixty-eight, portrayed the group as an empowering rich expressive space that allowed members to transform how they thought about their everyday reality — and to change that reality itself.

Instrumental music-making

Research on instrumental participation in older age is less plentiful than work on singing, possibly because of lingering stereotypes that learning to play an instrument is for younger people. Still, ensemble instrumental playing is linked to similarly positive results. Gembris questioned 308 participants aged forty to ninety-seven drawn from forty-three seniors' orchestras in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Respondents credited their musical involvement with enjoyment, happiness, and a sense of community belonging. While many noted age-related limits, they also reported adopting physical, mental, and musical compensatory strategies; musical self-concept remained high.

Saarikallio investigated emotional self-regulation through music among twenty-one Finnish adults aged twenty-one to seventy. For the ten participants who were older than sixty-five, singing or taking part in instrumental ensembles provided opportunities for progression, enjoyment, overcoming loneliness, and navigating aging-related challenges. Music added depth of meaning to life. The same emotional-regulation strategies appeared across all age groups in this study.

Non-musical facets of music participation by older farmers in Dublin and Cork

Additional research compared differences between retired female professionals and working class older males, charting how personal importance subconsciously shapes willingness to interact with musical foundations. Evidence indicates older adults often lack institutional avenues maintaining progression, proving necessity building structures accessible to all age groups.

Zelazny (2001) observed decreased arthritic pain, increased dexterity, and greater finger strength in four older pianists who engaged in 30-minute electronic keyboard sessions four days per week over four weeks. Jutras (2006) surveyed 711 piano students aged 24 to 94, exploring personal, skill, social, and cultural gains from piano study. Questionnaire results showed participants placed the highest value on enhanced skills they developed, including musicianship, theory, musical knowledge, and piano skills. Personal benefits such as fulfilling dreams, personal growth, accomplishment, self-fulfilment, fun, and stress relief were also noted.

Taylor and Hallam (2008) used qualitative methods to investigate musical identity construction among six keyboard learners over 60, finding that learning an instrument fostered satisfaction, achievement, and self-confidence. The participants described their current music-making as a means to reconnect with youth and feel empowered. They also demonstrated resilience when recalling past musical disappointments, suggesting facilitators can help older adults reframe perceptions of themselves as unmusical or incapable of active music-making.

In a similar vein, Pike (2011) conducted a mixed-method longitudinal study tracking a MIDI piano ensemble of 35 participants aged 65 to 95. Members pursued individual goals within a collaborative, peer-learning context that celebrated achievements through outreach performances. Over six years, Pike noted marked improvements in musical quality and ensemble cohesiveness, a palpable sense of belonging, and high value placed on peer support and modelling.

The therapeutic power of music

The therapeutic potential of music listening has been investigated. Hanser and Thompson (1994) used an experimental design to test whether listening to music could relieve depression in older adults. Thirty participants aged 61 to 86, diagnosed with depression but otherwise healthy, were randomly assigned to two experimental groups or a control group. The experimental groups learned music-listening stress reduction techniques during home visits or via telephone support; these techniques included gentle movement to music, relaxation and facial massage to music, and guided imagery. The control group received no intervention. Participants chose their own music, selecting rhythmic pieces to boost energy and slow, repetitive pieces for deep relaxation. After eight weeks, both experimental groups showed significant improvements in depression, distress, self-esteem, and mood compared to the control group, and these gains persisted at a nine-month follow-up.

Further research demonstrates benefits from musical therapeutic interventions with older adults suffering from dementia. Participation in musical activities, even in late-stage disease, has been reported as an alternative to pharmacological treatments (Prickett, 2000; Sixsmith & Gibson, 2007). Singing, instrumental playing, and movement to music are associated with physical, social, emotional, and cognitive improvements. Short-term gains include increased positive mood, sociability, and self-confidence (Lesta & Petocz, 2006; Svansdottir & Snaedal, 2006), and music has been shown to support walking patterns in dementia patients (Clair & O’Konski, 2006).

Considerable interest exists in music’s power to protect against cognitive decline. Tesky, Thiel, Banzer, and Pantel (2011) reported on an intervention programme involving 208 German participants with a median age of 71, none of whom had a history of cognitive decline. The programme included education about dementia, support, and daily engagement with reading, games, and music. Positive effects on cognitive function and attitude toward aging emerged in some subgroups: Fourth Age participants showed enhanced information-processing speed, while Third Age peers experienced improvement in subjective memory decline.

Hilliard (2004) explored music’s role in end-of-life hospice care for nursing home residents. Using an ex post facto design, the study compared 40 older adults (mean age 74) who received regular visits from a music therapist during hospice care with a group that did not. Music therapy—including singing with instrumental accompaniment, instrument playing, and rhythmic and vocal improvisation—significantly contributed to meeting emotional, spiritual, social, and physiological needs.

Summary of the literature reviewed

Research into music’s potential to enhance quality of life and well-being in later life suggests that active participation in various musical activities may boost cognitive, social, and emotional well-being. Studies report such positive benefits from music-making in both therapeutic and non-therapeutic settings. While passive listening yields some gains, active music-making—especially within social networks—appears particularly impactful. Although music-making for older adults is often associated with singing, evidence indicates positive outcomes from diverse activities including songwriting and instrumental performance.

Case study: Music for Life Project

Aims of the study

Between 2009 and 2011, Hallam et al. (2011) conducted the Music for Life Project, funded by the New Dynamics of Ageing strand of the UK Research Councils, to investigate the social, emotional, and cognitive benefits of community music-making among older adults. The project aimed to explore how creative music-making could enhance older people’s lives, the extent to which active engagement influenced social, emotional, and cognitive well-being, and the specific processes through which such impacts occurred.

Methods

Three case study sites served as partners: The Sage, Gateshead; Westminster Adult Education Service; and the Connect programme at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. Each offered musical activities for older adults but differed in approach. The Sage, Gateshead ran extensive choir and instrumental-group programmes facilitated by community musicians, taking place at the iconic arts centre or outreach locations. Westminster Adult Education Service’s Music Department provided a formal adult learning context with choirs, music appreciation classes, and keyboard classes. The Guildhall Connect programme offered creative intergenerational music workshops in sheltered housing, led by trained community outreach music leaders. Activities included singing in small and large groups, rock bands, and classes for guitar, ukulele, steel pans, percussion, recorder, keyboard, and music appreciation. A control group comprised individuals attending language classes (four groups), art/craft classes (five groups), yoga, social support groups (two groups), a book group, and a social club.

A variety of methods were employed: - Questionnaires for music participants (n = 398) and non-music participants (n = 102) at the study’s outset, including the CASP-12 measure of quality of life and the Basic Psychological Needs Scale (Deci & Ryan, 2010). - Questionnaires for music participants after nine months (n = 143). - Individual interviews with music participants (n = 29). - Focus group interviews with music participants (15 sessions). - Video and observations of music sessions (45 videos, notes from 25 sessions). - Videos and observations of musical performances (3). - Data on drop-outs from musical activities (provider records). - Questionnaires for music facilitators, including two scales assessing views of successful leadership and Basic Needs Satisfaction at Work (Deci & Ryan, 2010).

- Interviews with music facilitators (12). - Interviews with area coordinators of Age UK, representing over 40 individuals concerned with older people’s welfare in all three partner areas.

Eighty percent of the music group sample was female, and the majority was white, despite efforts to recruit from ethnic minority groups. Ages ranged from 50 to 93, with 246 in the Third Age and 92 in the Fourth Age (60 did not state age). Most music participants had professional occupations, with no statistically significant difference from the other groups.

Seventy-six percent of music participants had prior active music-making experience in singing or instrumental groups. Twenty-nine percent considered themselves musical beginners. Only 4% rated themselves “very good,” with the remainder reporting average or good ability. Seventy-three percent could read music, mostly at a basic level; only 8% reported “very good” reading skills.

Control-group participants rated music’s importance in their lives: 11% said it played a central role; the remainder reported “no importance” or listening “from time to time.”

Quality of life and well-being

The Music for Life Project adopted a needs-satisfaction approach to measuring quality of life among older participants. This approach assumes that subjective well-being can be assessed by the extent to which basic, universal, and innate psychological needs are met. The CASP-12 measure, developed in the UK for older populations (Wiggins, Netuveli, Hyde, Higgs, & Blane, 2008), is a 4-point Likert scale with 12 items organized into four subscales: control and autonomy (drivers) and self-realization and pleasure.

For triangulation, the Basic Psychological Needs Scale (Deci & Ryan, 2000, 2010) was used. This 7-point Likert scale has 21 items grouped into subscales for control, autonomy, and relatedness. Together, the two scales provided a robust measure of quality of life focusing on cognitive, emotional, and social well-being.

Findings: Measures of well-being

Statistically significant differences emerged between the music and non-music groups on quantitative measures, with music participants consistently reporting more positive responses. A factor analysis of items from both scales produced three factors: having a positive outlook on life (purpose), lack of autonomy and control (autonomy/control), and positive social relationships, competence, and a sense of recognized accomplishment (social affirmation). Comparisons showed music participants scored significantly higher on all three factors.

No differences appeared between Third and Fourth Age music participants on autonomy/control or social affirmation, though purpose deteriorated in the older group.

The perceived benefits of group activities

Both music and non-music participants rated highly statements about benefits of group participation, including: - sustaining well-being, quality of life, and reducing stress; - acquiring new skills; - providing mental activity and intellectual stimulation; - promoting social activity and community involvement; - providing opportunities for demonstrating skills and helping others; and - maintaining physical health.

No statistically significant differences emerged between music and non-music groups on these items, but music participants reported higher enjoyment levels. A multiple regression analysis revealed that for those in musical activities (but not other activities), high scores on the social-affirmation well-being factor were predicted by strong agreement that participation provided opportunities to stay involved with the community, offered intellectual stimulation, helped manage stress, and provided performance opportunities.

Benefits attributed to engagement with music

Individual and focus group interviews with participants and facilitators revealed a range of perceived benefits from active musical engagement, including social, cognitive, emotional, mental health, and physical health gains.

Social benefits included a sense of belonging, feeling valued within a community, having fun, and interacting with younger people in intergenerational groups. Participants noted that being in a musical group provided routine and structure, motivating them to leave the house and practise daily. Those in intergenerational activities reported enjoyment and fun, challenge to stereotypes, and opportunities for peer learning and expertise sharing.

Cognitive benefits included rising to new challenges, acquiring new skills, improved concentration and memory, and a general sense of achievement. Progression was key to these benefits; participants valued staying mentally agile and took pride in their musical accomplishments.

Many examples of improved mental and physical health were noted. Physical benefits included renewed vitality and rejuvenation.

Increased mobility was also observed. Mental health benefits included protection against stress and depression, a sense of purpose, enhanced confidence, positive life outlook, and support after bereavement. When asked what made music special compared to other activities, many participants pointed to its creative and expressive qualities.

For some, music served as a vehicle for redefining identity or rediscovering a lost “possible self.” Through music-making, participants developed or rekindled a strong musical identity. Several now considered themselves musicians:

> After retiring at 59, I now (65 now) consider that I have become a musician. I write songs, I perform and I play guitar.

> At first when I started playing this—because I have never seen a ukulele before … at first it was like this foreign object and it was so difficult and suddenly one day I thought “it feels like part of me” and I don’t have to look any more.

This musical self-concept was bolstered by being part of a community of musicians, performing with professional facilitators, and spending hours making music and practising. Participants also noted how others perceived them; being a musician was a new, interesting, and important role:

> Relatives, friends, some of them are quite intrigued … they think you are a wonderful singer.

Performance opportunities played a major role in perceived benefits, serving as a means to receive positive affirmation from others. For many, performances offered a chance to “be a musician” and share hard work with friends and family. Performances provided positive feedback and significantly strengthened musical self-concept:

> I can now sing in tune and I am so excited and longing for our gala concert and to hear my family’s reaction. No one else in the family has done anything like this.

> First we sing as a choir, then on our own. It gives me, at my age [tearful] I’m 85, it gives me a great feeling inside me that I can sing.

> I get a sense of achievement from participation especially when we perform for an audience.

However, some participants disliked performances perceived as token gestures rather than serious musical events. Although performances were a significant part of participants’ musical journeys, they needed to feel their contributions were valued and meaningful.

Supporting participation and overcoming barriers

Despite very few drop-outs among music participants, potential barriers were identified. Structural barriers included physical access to facilities, perceptions of locations as too elitist, financial constraints, and time of day (daytime was preferred). Information barriers were also evident; many participants discovered music sessions by chance, and no systematic resource existed for finding reliable information about local offerings. Personal and social barriers included caring responsibilities, social orientations and personal interests, willingness to socialize, confidence, and motivation.

Several suggestions emerged for overcoming these barriers.

Music sessions, it was stressed, needed to be welcoming and inclusive, steered by facilitators who built mutually respectful communication and set stimulating tasks that respected the prior experience adult members brought. Care was also needed to ensure the physical space was accessible — outreach locations were one example. Lastly, pastoral support — including “buddy” systems and social time — was deemed vital for helping individuals build the confidence and desire to attend regularly.

The power of music in the lives of older people

With a rapidly ageing population worldwide, we cannot overlook music’s protective and enriching role in older people’s lives. Strong evidence shows that throughout the Third and Fourth Ages — including both the “well” elderly and those limited by age-related conditions — people remain able to engage with music, forge musical identities, and grow as musicians.

Listening to music offers a source of positive emotion and supports psychological well-being. Yet it is active, social music-making that holds the greatest potential for fulfilling basic psychological needs. Making music provides a sense of purpose, and offers participants some degree of autonomy and control. Musical pursuits also give social affirmation; group collaboration and community spirit depend on contributions that are individually valued and celebrated. Music helps older people reconnect with their youth, experience vitality, and gain empowerment. Above all, making music is a joyful and creative activity that all humans, regardless of age, have a right to. Music educators, researchers, and anyone concerned with caring for older people must advocate for high-quality, accessible musical opportunities across the entire lifespan.

This research was conducted under the New Dynamics of Ageing programme, funded by five UK research councils — AHRC, BBSRC, EPSRC, ESRC, and MRC.

Various studies have explored musical development in elderly populations and the effects of intergenerational choir participation on age-related attitudes. Music aptitude profiles remain measurable in non-institutionalised, mature adults.

Research has examined the use of music for emotional self-regulation throughout adulthood, the contribution of wind band participation to seniors’ quality of life, and the impact of professionally led cultural programs on older adults’ physical health, mental health, and social functioning. Choral singing has shown immediate benefits for well-being, and active leisure practices can serve as counter-depressants.

Group music-making — including singing — has been linked to improvements in mood and behaviour among people with dementia, and therapeutic instrumental music playing can assist with hand rehabilitation. Cultural participation has been investigated as a determinant of survival, while the core principles of human needs and self-determination inform much of this work.

Singing in choirs correlates with successful aging; older adults who sing or play instruments in social settings report enhanced quality of life, autonomy, and community belonging. The body of evidence underscores that music engagement across the lifespan should be considered a right, not a luxury.