The Surprising Benefits of Songwriting

What is it that draws someone to songwriting? Most people who dabble in songwriting aren’t doing it to make it big or get famous. The vast majority of amateur songwriters aren’t out to make a lot of money or to pen a #1 hit that lingers in people’s minds for decades. No, most people who write songs don’t consider themselves “professional songwriters,” even when they get paid to do it. So why bother writing songs if you are not interested in doing it professionally? It turns out that writing music has a number of health, emotional, and social benefits.

Health Benefits

People who practice songwriting enjoy a number of physical benefits to their health as a direct result. Countless studies have looked into the supposed health benefits associated with songwriting, and the findings have been highly consistent. Many studies continue to check on their participants long after the experiment, and most have found evidence of continued health benefits. Overall, in these studies, people have consistently reported similar health benefits, including:

• Fewer stress-related visits to the doctor’s office
• Improvement in several immune system functions
• Lower blood pressure
• Improved lung function
• Improved liver function
• Improved short-term memory
• Improved sport performance
• Fewer work days lost to illness
• Fewer days spent in the hospital overall

These are only a few of the many physical benefits that come from making songwriting a part of your life. Possibly the most interesting aspect of the health benefits songwriting offers is that the practice of writing music doesn’t affect health-related behaviours like exercise or diet, yet it improves your overall health anyway. The scientists who perform these experiments and studies will be the first to admit that they aren’t sure why expressive songwriting has these kinds of effects on the human body, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them.

Emotional Benefits

For some reason, the science on the long-term, lasting emotional benefits isn’t as well known or even as consistent as the physical health benefits. While some studies account for emotional benefits, they aren’t as consistent between people. This is probably because everyone approaches the emotional aspect of songwriting uniquely. That being said, there are a few more common effects songwriters have reported to scientists:

• Improved mood/affect
• Better overall psychological well-being
• Less depressive/anxiety symptoms before exams
• Fewer post-traumatic intrusions
• Fewer avoidance symptoms.

The first three on that list are self-explanatory, but the last two may require a little extrapolation. Some studies have shown that songwriting can be a helpful tool when dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These studies have suggested that those who participate in songwriting and other expressive writing exercises report fewer stress or anxiety episodes related to their PTSD. Similarly, those who suffer from avoidance symptoms associated with several anxiety disorders report that songwriting helps them to suppress and experience fewer issues.

One kind of scientific study often performed is called a “meta-analysis.” This kind of study looks at all the data, information, and findings of the experiments that have come before it to find some common insights. Meta-analyses of studies dedicated to the emotional effects of songwriting have shown that, for many people, the effects of songwriting are significant and comparable in magnitude to the impact of other, more involved, expensive, and time-consuming psychological interventions.

Social Benefits

In addition to your health and mental well-being, practicing songwriting has been shown to improve many aspects of social life as well. Unfortunately, this slice of the benefits of songwriting pie is even less studied than the emotional benefits. However, there are a few conclusions we can glean:

• Quicker re-employment after job loss
• Higher grade point average for students
• Altered social and linguistic behaviour

The first comes from a study done in 1994. Researchers found that the participants who wrote music in their free time found work again after leaving a previous job much more quickly than those who did not write. Unfortunately, their study wasn’t equipped to investigate why this was the case, leaving us to speculate.

It could be because songwriting keeps your mind engaged and prevents you from falling into a depressive rut. Maybe writing music keeps your confidence high, which you can carry into an interview. Or perhaps it’s a problem-solving exercise for your brain, keeping it primed for the problem of finding a job.

The second benefit on this list is easier to understand. Songwriting keeps a young brain engaged by forcing it to think mathematically when composing melodies and rhythms and creatively searching for something that hasn’t been done before or unique lyrics to fit the feeling you’re trying to convey. This help keep the brain active between school lessons and augment and improve the lessons learned.

Lastly, some studies have suggested that writing about emotionally charged topics changes how songwriters interact with others. This could mean writing music might profoundly impact how writers use words and emotional themes when communicating with others. This is the least studied of all the benefits. Still, it implies those with an intimate relationship with music are better at relating with others on an emotional and conversational level.

Closing Thoughts

No matter how you look at it, songwriting is a benefit to anyone’s life. It helps you feel better–physically and emotionally–and related to other better. However, like any skill, starting out can be challenging. But also like any other skill, practice and perseverance will lead to success!