Rupert and his sister Izzy grew up surrounded by music. Their parents managed a music school in Hertfordshire, UK. As an 18-year-old musician, Rupert was heading towards a promising career as a French horn player until a terrible car accident shattered his dream.

After the accident in February of 1997, he went into a two-month-long coma which resulted in severe brain damage. Doctors even advised the father to turn off his son’s life support machine.

However, knowing his son’s connection with music, the dad tried one last thing before giving up. He brought his son’s French horn, placed it on his bedside, and played a Mozart recording, presumably a French horn concerto like this one.

Rupert, who wasn’t showing any signs of brain activity, began to move his fingers along the valves of the French horn. The family and doctors were astonished. Music had shaken him off this comatose state.

Hopeful recovery was on its way, Rupert went into a 13-hour brain surgery to salvage whatever was left from his injuries. Doctors had to remove his left frontal lobe but he miraculously retained his ability to play the instrument at a high level.

Rupert’s case shows that music has a stronger connection to us than we currently know. Here’s a dive into the music’s profound influence on our health and wellbeing. You’ll find that music is not just a form of entertainment, but a powerful tool for recovery and resilience.

A music prescription for recovery

Rupert has been on a long recovery journey. Remember that part of his brain was completely removed which left a profound mark on his mental processes and behavior.

The lack of a left frontal lobe means that Rupert has problems with managing his emotions and controlling his impulses. His lack of inhibitions shows regularly at his music rehearsals with the Aylesbury concert band. But the band loves him and accepts him for who he is thankfully.

However, music allowed him to regain a part of his brain’s plasticity.

Although he has to live under 24-hour care in Aylesbury, he recovered part of his motor skills, evidenced in his French horn playing, and memory which allows him to play extensive music pieces without the need for sheet music.

Despite his major injury, Rupert’s brain could reorganize and compensate, especially when engaged in complex activities like music.

A study at the University of Bergen shows the potential of music playing in the patient’s recovery process after a traumatic brain injury. Most people who underwent the music-supported therapy (6 out of 7), specifically piano playing, showed better attention, learning strategies, and retrieval of memories, after 8 weeks of one-on-one 30-minute piano lessons twice a week.

Music is a cognitive exercise that shouldn’t be underestimated especially after heavy brain injuries. Just like you would need muscle training, music acts like a mental workout for your brain muscles.

How to get music into your daily routine?

Music isn’t just useful during recovery.

It can actively boost the life of healthy individuals.

Music can help with your peace of mind. What does the science say? Two meta-analysis studies almost 20 years apart (here and here) confirm that music is capable of reducing stress. However, the newest one conducted in The Netherlands in 2020 is more nuanced and detailed.

Based on this study, here’s an optimal use of music for stress reduction:

• Slow-paced music: music between 60–80 bpm is particularly effective in reducing stress.

• Frequency: a single session can be effective, with the study suggesting immediate stress-reducing effects.

• Type of music: both live and recorded music interventions are effective.

• Music selection: there’s no definitive difference between self-selected music and pre-selected by someone else. Thus, your personal favorites are as good as the recommendations of others.

One interesting finding from the older meta-analysis is that combining music with other relaxing techniques provides the best outcome. So if you use music with meditation or breathing techniques, you’ll relax more than just using music on its own.

Music also enhances your mental activity. Background music can be a great tool for studying or working. A good way to learn how to optimally use music in this instance is to ask others who already use it.

A study by Goltz and Sadakata in 2021 in The Netherlands asked 140 highly educated people, with a mean age of 32.6 and equal gender distribution, to tell them the best way they use background music, and here’s what they found:

• Generally, people use less background music for more complex tasks. They feel it distracts them more than it helps them. However, if the task is challenging, they’ll listen to non-vocal, calm, and classical music.

• For simpler tasks, there’s less concern about the type of music used. They could use either vocal or instrumental music and music from any genre.

• Younger individuals tend to use more background music compared to older adults.

• Instrumental music is generally preferred over vocal music, as lyrics can be more distracting.

The music they use helps with a diverse array of mental capabilities.

• Many individuals use music to boost concentration and mood. However, they tend to avoid music with vocals, because it distracts them.

• When it comes to reading, memorizing information, and engaging in critical reasoning, results are mixed. Some find it beneficial while others say it’s even detrimental to their performance.

Conclusion? Many find it helps with their cognitive performance, but the preference for certain types of music varies greatly based on individual characteristics and task complexity.

The main idea is this.

If what you’re doing is too complex, then music will add unnecessary noise to your already consumed mind. If the tasks are simple for you, then a wide variety of music won’t get in your way.

Final thoughts

Rupert’s surprising journey is just one example of music’s incredible power on our minds and bodies. Music was his ground wire. It allowed him to keep doing what he loved even in the face of adversity.

Here’s a heartwarming twist to Rupert’s story. His sister Izzy went on to become a violin player and they still share a musical bond so much so that they recorded a song together.

The following video shows them playing together “Somewhere in My Memory”, a song composed by John Williams which first appeared in the movie “Home Alone”.

Enjoy!

Video from Izzy’s personal YouTube channel

And two questions for you.

• Do you have a personal experience with the healing power of music?

• How do you integrate music into your daily routine for stress reduction, concentration, relaxation, or any other outcome?

There are still undiscovered depths to the connection between music and brain function, and Rupert’s story just shows that there’s more to music than meets the ear.