Music and the Brain: Report on an NIH/Kennedy Center Workshop

“Music and the Brain: Research Across the Lifespan” was the topic of a collaborative workshop convened by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. A summary of the workshop, authored by 15 experts including Dr. Francis Collins, Director of NIH, and Dr. Emmeline Edwards, Director of our Center’s Division of Extramural Research, has now been published.

The workshop, held on January 26-27, 2017, focused on intriguing research findings about music and health, such as evidence that musical training can foster the development of nonmusical skills in children, the possible benefits of musical activities on the aging brain, and the mechanisms through which music may help relieve pain.

The workshop panel developed recommendations for future research on music, the brain, and health, focusing on four areas: basic and mechanistic research, translational and clinical research, methods and outcomes, and capacity building and infrastructure. NIH is also promoting research collaborations with other agencies, including the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Science Foundation.