In his landmark work Musicophilia, Dr. Oliver Sacks described singing not just as a form of entertainment, but as a “neurological necessity” that can reach parts of the brain that language and medicine cannot.
Here is a condensed version of his findings on the benefits of singing:
- It Bypasses Brain Damage
Sacks famously noted that music occupies more areas of the brain than language does. Because of this, patients who have lost the ability to speak due to a stroke (aphasia) can often still sing their thoughts. This led to the development of “Melodic Intonation Therapy,” which uses singing to help patients “re-wire” their brains and regain speech.
+1 - It Acts as a “Backdoor” to Memory
For those with advanced Alzheimer’s or dementia, Sacks observed that singing familiar songs could act as a “last light.”
The “Amber” Effect: He described personal identity as being “embedded, as if in amber, in the music.”
Identity Restoration: Even when a person can no longer recognize their own family, singing a song from their youth can momentarily “restore them to themselves,” bringing back focus, emotion, and personality.
- It Provides “Flow” for Movement
Sacks observed that for patients with Parkinson’s disease, who may experience “freezing” or a loss of motor control, singing provides an internal rhythmic template. The act of singing (or even mentally “singing” a rhythm) can help a person initiate movement and walk fluidly where they otherwise couldn’t. - It Regulates Emotion and Tics
In his studies of Tourette’s syndrome, Sacks found that singing or playing an instrument could dramatically reduce physical tics. The rhythmic and melodic structure of a song acts as an “internal metronome” that calms the nervous system and organizes the mind.
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“Music can lift us out of depression or move us to tears… but for many of my neurological patients, music is even more—it can provide access to movement, to speech, to life.” — Dr. Oliver Sacks