Music Theory

Music as a pathway to healthy ageing


16 min read

Ageing is a lifelong process that begins at birth and continues through each stage of life until death. These transitional periods bring their own health challenges. This study explored the views of ageing adults working in 10 Federal Ministries at the Federal Secretariat in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, on how music can support healthy ageing. Three research questions guided the investigation.

The population included 750 ageing adults employed across the ten selected ministries. A simple random sample of 150 individuals was drawn. The researchers developed a Musical and Healthy Ageing Questionnaire (MHAQ) containing 27 items to collect data. Simple percentage analysis of the results showed that listening to music and taking part in musical activities are effective ways to promote healthy ageing in growing adults.

Based on these findings, the study recommends that ageing adults should engage with music and musical activities to counteract health problems. Parents should also create musically active homes for young people and adolescents, so they can reap those benefits even in their later years.

As people grow older, they face various health hazards that sometimes resist medical treatment. Boog and Burt-Perkins (2009), citing Cohen, Richter, and others, noted that older adults deal with physical and cognitive deficits such as impaired vision, hearing loss, and unsteady movements. Some of these problems may result from long-term engagement in risky behaviours that began in childhood. These patterns often continue as people age, sometimes leading to early death, which leaves relatives depressed, dejected, and vulnerable to hardship. Modern living conditions have also taken a toll on personal health and quality of life. Park (2015, p. 258) stated: “Depression and psychological distress can be highly prevalent at advanced ages and they are more likely to elevate the risks of physical and mental health problems.” Sloboda, cited in Hays, Bright, and Minichiello (2002, p. 166), observed that “the social aspect of life of humans seems to be the most affected by ageing.” Furthermore, threats to healthy living “largely arise from and are influenced by various structural arrangements in which individuals are embedded” (Pearlin, 1989, p. 241).

Advocacy for healthy ageing through musical participation has increased tremendously (Khan, 1999). The Bible provides an early example: King Saul found relief when a minstrel played the harp. Much of the literature discusses the various roles music plays in well-being, such as “evoking emotional responses that improve quality of life” (Trappe, 2012, p. 27), providing energy for work, promoting social well-being (Clayton, 2009), and supporting cognitive processes. Music therapists have also reported progress in healing certain ailments through music (Bernard et al., 2009). The acknowledged importance of music in human development has led to educational programmes designed to manage problems associated with the ageing process. These include music geragogy for older adults and music agology for adults (Boog & Burt-Perkins, 2009). To achieve the goals of these programmes, the authors described a learning strategy called ‘andragogy’ that focuses on adults. Despite these efforts, health problems keep rising.

Today’s demands place ageing adults under stressful conditions as they try to make ends meet. We must constantly explore new ways to curb high blood pressure, stroke, and other health problems linked to stress, depression, and distress. These ailments, which have devastated many families, are especially common in modern times. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared healthy ageing essential for development at the Second World Assembly in 2002. Accordingly, World Health Day on 7 April 2012 focused on activities and campaigns to promote active and healthy ageing (WHO, 2012).

These concerns motivated the authors to carry out this study. The paper discusses ways to enhance the ageing process—with all its nuances—through music. The researchers asked ageing adults how they manage the aging process, what they do to find relief, and how often they use music as part of a strategy to stay healthy.

Ageing is growing older. Flatt (2012), citing Rose (1991), defines ageing as “a decline or loss (de-tuning) of adaptation with increasing age, caused by a time-progressive decline of Hamilton’s forces of natural selection.” Humans “go through transitional periods in life as … and reduced vigour in their own body and mind as a result of functional declines” (Park, 2015, p. 258). Hamilton’s forces of natural selection are “manipulable using experimental evolution, allowing the deceleration or acceleration of aging, and the shifting of the transition ages between development, aging, and late life” (Rose, Rauser, Benford, Matos, & Mueller, 2007, p. 1265). Ageing, then, encompasses all changes in human growth “developing the appearance and characteristics of old age” (The Free Dictionary), which can render a person active or inactive. There are determinants of active ageing that, according to Paul, Rebeiro, and Teixeira (2012), “should allow us to identify particular profiles that are more at risk or on the other hand are more favourable to age actively.”

Music is a social product. Blacking (1973, p. 57) defined it as “human organised sound.” Elliot (1995, p. 128) described it as “a diverse human practice of constructing aural temporal patterns for primary values of enjoyment, self-growth, and self-knowledge.” Other definitions exist, but Elliot’s seems most relevant here. In a similar vein, Onyuike (2006) saw music as a phenomenon with the potential to enhance human personality through complete involvement. This confirms that music plays a vital role in the all-round development of a person, whether young or old.

Various studies have explored strategies to curb dementia and other health conditions. Findings consistently show that music is a powerful medium for promoting health and well-being, even in older persons. Storr (1992), Clair and Hanser (1995), and Clair (1996) all attested that music therapy or music intervention programmes brought tremendous gains and improvements for incapacitated older adults. Similarly, the “importance of the role of music in physiological, psychological, and cognitive development” was noted by Maranto (cited in Hays et al., 2002, p. 167) and by McDermot, Orrell, and Ridder (2014). Hays et al., citing Kendig, argued that music contributes to an older person’s quality of life.

As a person ages, they often experience psychological stress, distress, fatigue, depression, and other health problems. Each transitional period brings its own pressure and risks that can undermine healthy ageing. Clearly, vital steps need to be taken to counter these effects. On this point, Haslam, Haslam, Ysseldyk, Closkey, and Pfisterer (2014) conducted a study comparing novel forms of song-based reminiscence among three groups of older people, as reported by Park, McDaid, Forsman, and Wahlbeck (2014). The findings showed significant improvement in life satisfaction across all three groups (secular song, religious song, and story reminiscence) after listening to music. General contributions of music to positive ageing have also been acknowledged (Hays et al., 2002). Music therapy interventions for older people include those reported by Bright (1972), Gibbons (1988), and Palmer (1989). Fu and Lin (2012) compiled a list of possible systems affected in older people, distinguishing biological changes from psychosocial changes.

Biological changes include:

  • Decreased cognitive function (loss of brain volume)
  • Risk for cardiovascular diseases (hardening vessels)
  • Decreased physiological function (e.g., changes in the respiratory system)
  • Decreased sensory function (loss of neurons and neurotransmitters)
  • Poor sleep quality
  • Decreased mobility and physical function

Psychosocial changes include:

  • Retirement
  • Loss of income
  • Loss of friends and family
  • Decreased social interaction

In a study by Gembris (2008) exploring age-related restrictions of musical activities and coping strategies, findings indicated that the importance of music increases, especially among people aged 60 to 80 years. Lee, Chan, and Mok (2010) conducted an experimental study measuring three mental health dimensions—vitality, social functioning, and emotional role—among 65 community-dwelling older Chinese adults aged 65 to 90. Thirty-one subjects listened to preferred music on an MP3 player, while 35 formed a control group without music. Findings revealed significant improvements in quality of life for the experimental group. Other studies using music as an intervention to curb depression, anxiety, and other disorders have also been reported (Ward, Kamp, & Newman, 1996; Skingley, Clift, Coulton, & Rodriguez, 2011; Chan, Wong, Onishi, & Thayala, 2012; Haslam et al., 2014).

The literature reviewed shows evidence that music plays a role in healthy ageing. However, most of these studies were conducted outside Akwa Ibom State in particular and Nigeria in general. The researchers did not come across any study carried out in this geographical area. While ageing conditions seem prevalent in this region, no empirical proof exists about using music to offset them. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to determine whether music and musical activities can help ageing adults cope with health hazards. Three research questions guided the investigation.

Research question 1: What is the ageing-adults’ disposition towards ageing and music?

Research question 2: Do ageing-adults use music as a strategy to enhance their health conditions?

Research question 3: Does music enhance healthy ageing in adults?

Design: The study used a survey method, seeking the opinions of ageing adults on whether music can support healthy ageing.

Population and sample: The target population consisted of 750 ageing adults working in 10 federal ministries at the Federal Secretariat, Abak Road, Uyo. Respondents were between 45 and 60 years old. Simple random sampling selected 150 participants, ensuring each ministry had an equal chance.

Instrument and method for data collection: The researchers developed, validated, and used a questionnaire called the Music and Healthy Ageing Questionnaire (MHAQ). The instrument had two sections: Section A covered personal data, while Section B contained 26 items addressing the three research questions. Cronbach’s Alpha determined overall reliability at .83. Two research assistants who worked at the ministries helped administer the questionnaires. On-the-spot distribution and collection achieved a 100% return rate.

Data analysis: Data from the questionnaire items were analysed using simple percentages.

Results for Research Question 1

Table 1 shows the percentage responses of ageing adults on their disposition towards ageing and music. The results revealed that 60% feel good about ageing, while 100% think growing older affects their health. About 52% wished they were not ageing. A clear majority (82%) expressed interest in music generally, 65.3% have music equipment at home, 73.3% take pleasure in watching musical events, 61.3% attend musical events, and 67.3% take part in musical activities. However, only 46.7% had ever taken music lessons, 25.3% play an instrument, 52.7% sing in a choir, and 30% prefer other activities for relief instead of listening to music.

Results for Research Question 2

Table 2 shows responses on whether ageing adults use music as a health strategy. Eighty percent listen to music to relieve stress, 66.7% spend valuable time listening after work, and 56.7% enjoy music while at work. All respondents (100%) enjoy listening to popular and traditional music, while 20% like classical music and 45.3% like gospel music. These findings indicate that the respondents use music to cope with ageing-related ailments.

Results for Research Question 3

Table 3 displays responses on music as a health enhancer. Six out of seven items received positive responses. For example, 88% think listening to music delays ageing-related disability, 94% feel better when listening to music while depressed, and 92.7% believe listening improves their general health. However, 56% of respondents did not think playing a musical instrument would improve their ageing-health process. On item 25, 67.3% said they derive health benefits from participating in musical activities, and 81.3% said music motivates them to work more. Despite the negative response on one item, the findings overall indicate respondents see music as an ageing-health enhancer.

In sum, the results from Table 1 show that respondents have a largely positive disposition toward ageing and music. They seem to view musical activities as a way to relieve stress and other health conditions. All respondents agreed that growing older affects health, consistent with the assertions of Cohen and Richter (cited in Boog & Burt-Perkins, 2009), Fu and Lin (2012), and Park (2015). This likely explains why 52% wished they were not ageing.

Respondents reported that they listen to, attend, and participate in musical activities, including choir singing. This suggests they are already using music to manage ageing-related problems. These results support the views of Lee et al. (2010) and Haslam et al. (2014) that listening to music significantly improves life satisfaction. Although Lee et al.’s study focused on older adults aged 65–90, the findings have implications for younger aging adults. Notably, respondents preferred listening to popular and gospel music, rarely listened to classical, and did not express negative opinions about any genre mentioned in the questionnaire.

Exposure to recorded music has increased through CDs, DVDs, radio, and television, making music far more accessible than in the past. This likely accounts for a higher preference for recorded music (45%) over traditional forms (20%). Classical and traditional music seldom feature on broadcast channels. Furthermore, classical music remains unfamiliar to most people and fails to attract wide interest. Traditional music performances rarely occur in society or on radio and TV. Some contemporary church doctrines also condemn traditional music as demonic or devilish. This may explain why all respondents (100.0%) reported listening to gospel music in Table 2, Item 18.

Results in Table 3 showed that respondents affirmed 6 of 7 items indicating music's efficacy for healthy ageing. These findings align with research by Storr (1992), Clair and Hanser (1995), Clair (1996), Ward et al (1996), Hay et al (2002), Clayton (2009), Bernard et al (2009), Skingley et al (2011), Trappe (2012), Chan et al (2012), and Haslam et al (2014). Over half (56.0%) believed playing musical instruments would not improve their ageing process. These individuals may have never played an instrument and could not assess the health benefits of such engagement. Overall, the findings show music promotes healthy ageing in older adults.

Modern lifestyles expose ageing adults to health hazards requiring management. Listening to and participating in music and musical activities serve as effective strategies for reducing stress and other health risks, the study found. The conclusion is that music enhances healthy ageing. Therefore, seniors should engage in music and musical activities to counter age-related health problems. Communities should create musical leisure opportunities supporting healthy physiological, cognitive, psychological, social, and emotional development. Parents ought to foster musically active homes and encourage children and wards to participate in musical activities, because, as Gembris (2008) stated, “Apparently, musical activities in childhood and adolescence are a very good investment with respect to old age” (p. 106). Ageing adults are also advised to continue listening to music of their choice for health benefits. Since listening to and participating in musical activities incur minimal cost, such activities should be regularly and consciously organised to reach a broad spectrum of individuals in society.

Further research is needed to determine the degree of significance music could have in enhancing healthy ageing. Researchers may adopt combined approaches for more reliable results. This study could be replicated in other government agencies and states across the federation.

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