“United States Department of Health and Human Services Hosts ‘Music is Medicine’ Event Focused on Mental Health and Well-Being”
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently hosted the first-ever “Music is Medicine” event to shine a spotlight on the prominent impact that music can have on mental health and overall well-being. The event was held in the Great Hall of the HHS headquarters building and featured local musicians.
Among those who performed at the event were the HeatStroke Band and Show, the U.S. Public Health Service Corps Ensemble, the Golden Years Choir, and the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Steel Drummers from the Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School. Xavier Becerra, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, opened the event with a speech highlighting the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to mental health and discussing the recent efforts to enhance access to mental health services.
Researchers have indicated that there are numerous benefits of music on mental health. According to scientific evidence, music has the potential to reduce stress and anxiety, elevate mood, provide pain relief, promote relaxation, stimulate cognitive function, and aid in emotional expression.
One of the performers at the event, Leopoldina Villanueva, shared her experience. As an 85-year-old Honduran who sings with the Golden Years Choir, Villanueva expressed how music has helped fill emotional voids in her life. She explained, “When I am surrounded by music, I have been able to feel that I live again and it fills voids.”
In addition to the performances, the event also featured a speech from Maria Del Rosario, PhD, Chair, National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), who highlighted the critical role of access to the arts in achieving mental well-being.
The event concluded with the HeatStroke Band, a go-go band comprising firefighters and paramedics, who began performing during the pandemic to promote mental health and well-being with the healing power of music. The “Music is Medicine” event aimed to underscore the importance of music in mental health and promote the integration of music into wellness initiatives. With growing awareness of its therapeutic benefits, music is expected to become an increasingly important aspect of mental health care.