Music Helps through Grief and Loss

December 2024

How many times have you heard people talk about “the power of music” or how music can contribute to our overall well-being? As a music therapist, I have witnessed its benefits on countless occasions, and I engage in conversations about this topic on a regular basis.

The effectiveness of music in healthcare has continuously been studied and its proven benefits have been found to be impactful in different areas such as our cognitive, social, physical, spiritual, and emotional domains. Regarding the latter, music can elicit different emotional states, it can influence our moods, and can be a tool for emotional regulation (Thoma, et. al., 2012).

But what role does music play in bereavement? What are the benefits of music when navigating the grieving process?

I’d like to share 5 ways in which music can help as we journey through grief and loss— that are also supported by research:

1. Music can help us find or redefine our identity:  When we experience a loss, it can feel as though we’ve also lost our sense of self. We might ask ourselves “Who am I anymore without ______?” Music (and music therapy) can help us find or redefine our identity by exploring our personality, needs, and preferences through musical expression (Smeijsters & van den Hurk, 1999).
2. Music can help facilitate emotional expression and processing: Music can serve as a channel to access feelings we might have not been able to previously access. It can be a catalyst for the expression of emotions that might be otherwise difficult to put into words (Oliveira & Cardoso, 2010).
3. Music can bring us comfort: Not only can music help us relax and alter our mood states, but music can also be a source of comfort by decreasing emotional and physical distress. Grieving individuals can report emotional symptoms like anger, numbness, low self-esteem, and guilt, as well as physical symptoms such as tiredness, headaches, muscle tension, and chest pain (Kowalski & Bondmass, 2008). Music has been proven to be effective in managing emotional and physical symptoms by decreasing the perception of pain, increasing physical comfort, and relaxation (Krout, 2001).
4. Music can serve as a healthy coping tool: Whether engaging in music in a passive (listening) or active (playing an instrument) manner, music can help us feel validated, it can help us express, process, and manage difficult emotions and enhance our mood (Ter, et.al., 2011).
5. Music can help us feel connected with the deceased: Morrie Schwartz said “Death ends a life, not a relationship” and through music, we can continue to experience our bond or relationship with the deceased by utilizing music in ways that honor or commemorate their life (Patrick DiMaio & Economos, 2017).