Age Gracefully with Music

If you’d like to prevent memory issues, turn on the tunes! Meet an inspiring elder, Joan, and her music therapist, Roxie. I’m astounded by the beautiful, clear quality of Joan’s voice and her pitch-perfect recall of the harmony part of a favorite hymn: 

Does Joan remember all the words? No. But she remembers the sounds. Seniors with memory issues teach us how music bypasses parts of the brain that no longer fully function. 

But can musical activities lower risk for dementia and help us age gracefully?  Time to geek out on some stats.

Last week, my friend Tim introduced me to a 2025 study revealing benefits of music on cognitive aging. This new study out of Monash University in Melbourne, Australia (in conjunction with two American partners) studied 11,000 adults aged 70+. Two longitudinal studies supported by the National Institutes of Health provided underlying data.

The study analyzed dementia-related outcomes for older adults who listened to music, played a musical instrument, or did both, at various levels of frequency. 

Here’s a summary of some key results (pun intended):  

• Listening to music often was associated with a 39% reduced dementia risk,
• Playing an instrument was associated with a 35% reduced dementia risk,
• Regularly engaging in music listening and playing was associated with a 33% decreased risk of dementia and 22% decreased risk of cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND).

Beyond the promising science, it’s fun to listen to, dance to, or play music throughout our lives. Sounds that bring back happy memories or create joy in this moment uplift us!

Today, we can start a new habit that takes advantage of music to age gracefully.

So, turn on the tunes, grab the guitar, or sing in the shower. Besides the short term fun, we’ll be investing in long term benefits for ourselves, family, and friends.

That is living as music.