This book is about links between music and health. It focuses on music
and public health, and, in particular, the potentially positive and
negative effects of listening to and making music on the health of the
general population. The book starts out by discussing the protection
music offers against adverse effects of stress. It then discusses social
aspects of music production and listening and examines religious music
within the framework of social functioning. It offers insight into the
physiological and psychological effects of music listening, the
biological effects of singing, and the use of music in therapeutic
situations and the rearing of children. The book concludes by discussing
the significance of music for musicians and their health. Although it
may seem that music has only good health effects, and therefore all
professional musicians should be healthy, not all music effects are
positive. The book describes situations in which music has negative
health effects and makes clear that there is a pronounced difference
between living with music for joy and to earn one´s living from making
music. In the latter situation, performance anxiety may become a factor
that affects health adversely.