news 2025

A new website offers video capsules and popular texts to inform the general public about the scientifically recognized benefits of playing and listening to music You don't have to be a violin virtuoso or a guitarist of the calibre of Jimi Hendrix to enjoy the benefits of music. Every amateur musician benefits from playing an instrument, even if it's just a few notes or a wooden spoon.

An international study co-authored by McGill psychologist Caroline Palmer suggests our brains and bodies don't just understand music, they physically resonate with it. These discoveries, based on findings in neuroscience, music, and psychology, support Neural Resonance Theory (NRT). NRT maintains that rather than relying on learned expectations or prediction, musical experiences arise from the brain's natural oscillations that sync with rhythm, melody and harmony.

A study carried out at UdeM by Craig Turner and his doctoral supervisor Felipe Verdugo shows how pianists' "expressive intentions" may heighten their risk of long-term injury. Playing the piano involves much more than striking the keyboard. The pianist's entire body is in movement, from the torso to the fingers.

We each have a natural rhythm, and music that matches it offers the best pain relief, McGill research suggests Music has the best chance of providing pain relief when it is played at our natural rhythm, a McGill University research team has discovered. This suggests it may be possible to reduce a patient's level of pain by using technology to take a piece of music someone likes and adjust the tempo to match their internal rhythm, the researchers said.