Book Review: "Music as Medicine" by Daniel Levitin

I was initially excited about this book but I became more and more cynical about its arguments the more it started to become a book about convincing me that music had some strange healing powers. Yes, there's a lot of scientific stuff in here that I think is very important but I will also go through that though they are important, they are also somewhat flawed in my opinion. There are some things that come into question and these include: data, anecdotes, generalisations and writing style. This book didn't feel as powerful and driven as a research/nonfiction book usually does for me and even though I was excited to read it - I find myself slightly deflated.

Levitin opens Music as Medicine by discussing the universal power of music, recognising its ability to resonate deeply with individuals across different cultures, ages, and emotional states. He introduces the core idea that music, as both a cultural and biological phenomenon, can influence our mood, energy levels, and health. Drawing from research in neuroscience, he outlines the ways in which music can activate multiple regions of the brain, stimulating emotions, motor functions, and even memory recall. He argues that music is not simply an art form but an essential aspect of human nature, capable of affecting us on a neurological level. I think that this is something that most of us can agree with and yet, here I am poking holes in it.

Yes there is a question of neuroscience, that's not what I'm arguing with. I am however arguing with his generalisation of what music means culturally as a 'phenomenon'. This is suggestive of something being new and exciting and yet, music is more of a language than a 'phenomenon'. It is one of the most base forms of communication and, in my opinion, is nowhere near as exciting and mystical as the author's language use in the book makes it out to be. Sorry about that.

Levitin dives deeper into the neurobiology of music, explaining how sound waves are processed in the brain. He explores the auditory cortex and other areas responsible for the perception and interpretation of sound, noting how music can activate these regions in unique ways. He also discusses the concept of "entrainment," the ability of music to synchronise with our body’s rhythms, such as heart rate and respiration. The idea that our physiological systems can align with music’s structure is central to understanding how music can have therapeutic effects, ranging from relaxation to enhanced cognitive function.

This is something I can agree with because there's a lot of data to back it up. The fact that music and mood are closely linked has been studied possibly since psychology existed. However, there is a question about how obvious this argument actually is and the fact that it is so universally acknowledged, do we really need to be spoon-fed it again? It perhaps takes up a few chapters in a book that already dwindles in depth compared to others of its genre and subject. There was room for something else to be explored.

The healing power of music extends beyond the physical to the psychological realm, particularly when it comes to trauma. The author delves into how music can help individuals recover from emotional trauma, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), by creating a safe emotional space for expression. He examines how music can help trauma survivors process their emotions, facilitating a path toward recovery. Music is shown to lower stress responses, reduce hyperarousal, and even help in re-establishing neural connections that may have been damaged due to traumatic experiences. In this section, Levitin underscores music's ability to support mental health in profound and sometimes life-changing ways.

I enjoyed this part because it really details some real-world impacts. Let's leave aside some of the anecdotal critiques I was going to make for a second and actually look at the value of this as a section in nonfiction. Yes, there's too much of the book dedicated to what is dubbed online as 'music therapy' and the psychological enhancements of music - most of which is known ad nauseam to anyone not living under a rock. However, this section actually details it playing a real role in the lives of people who have perhaps suffered the far worse end of the mental health scale than maybe, someone who has social anxiety.

All in all, while Music as Medicine is not without its merits, I found myself disappointed by its inability to deliver on the promise of offering a fresh, thought-provoking perspective on the topic. The science behind music's therapeutic properties is undeniably fascinating, but the book often felt more like a convincing argument than a robust, multifaceted exploration. I’m left with the feeling that this book is more about reinforcing the idea of music as a healing force than offering new, groundbreaking insights into its role in medicine and psychology. It’s not a bad read, but it’s one that left me feeling deflated rather than inspired.