Music and aging

"Music, the most-studied art reviewed, has been shown to have a number of benefits [for older people]. One landmark study compared older adults who were invited to join a choir to those not invited. Twelve months after the study began, choir members showed decreases in doctor visits, falls, and over-the-counter medication use. Improvements were seen in overall health rating and number of activities performed. In a larger study that randomly assigned individuals to a choir program or a control group, the choir partisans had lower scores on a depression/anxiety scale, and higher scores on a quality of life scale. A survey of older amateur singers before and after joining a musical group showed increases in emotional well-being, social life, quality of life, and self-confidence." http://aginginaction.com/2014/01/can-music-dance-and-other-arts-programs-enhance-healthy-aging/