Shortly after we returned to in-person events after COVID, I was giving a well-being presentation where I discussed a variety of tools and practices that can make us more resilient to the stresses of practicing law. I asked the audience what other practices they relied on to get through COVID. I recall one person telling me that it was music that helped him to keep his head above water during quarantine. I had never thought of music in that way and wasn’t sure whether there was some scientific evidence to support the idea that music can have a positive effect on our mental health. Turns out, there is.

Music isn’t just background noise. It’s brain medicine. It’s a cognitive balm, a subtle shift in the emotional weather, and for those of us navigating the stress and precision of legal work, it might be one of the most underused tools in the well-being toolbox.

Dr. Francis Collins, former NIH director, and soprano Renée Fleming have collaborated on an initiative called Sound Health, a research project exploring how music impacts the brain and body. Collins has even strapped on a guitar during lectures to make his point: music heals.

Their work reveals that music engages nearly every region of the brain: emotion, memory, movement, language. Studies show that music can ease physical pain, reduce cortisol, and lift mood. In fact, a 2023 review in Frontiers in Psychology found that music therapy helped reduce anxiety, depression, and even post-operative pain in patients across a wide range of clinical settings. This comprehensive review examines the various neurochemical, physiological, and psychological factors that underpin the impact of music on pain perception. It highlights how music therapy can influence pain management by affecting emotional and cognitive processes, thereby reducing the perception of pain and improving overall well-being.

The legal profession runs on logic, deadlines, and high stakes. That’s precisely why we need an emotional counterbalance. Music can be the breath in between the briefs, the silence broken beautifully by sound.

• Need to reset between client meetings?
  Try mindful listening—five minutes of instrumental music with your eyes closed.
  
• Want a creative outlet?
  Dust off the guitar. Join a choir. Pick up the drums. It’s not frivolous—it’s neuroscience.
  
• Feeling burned out?
  Consider music therapy. Many therapists are now integrating it into their treatment plans for stress-related disorders.

We don’t have to become musicians to benefit from music. We just have to let it in. Whether it’s Yo-Yo Ma, Beyoncé, or Merle Haggard, music gives the brain something to hold onto that isn’t worry or judgment. It helps us feel, and sometimes, that’s what we need most. So, the next time you’re staring down a stressful deposition or a stack of redlines, ask yourself: What’s the soundtrack to this moment? You just might find that pressing play is the most productive thing you do all day.