Music and Social-Emotional Well Being

The importance of emotional intelligence in the life of a human being cannot be emphasized enough. Emotional intelligence is our ability as individuals, to be aware of the range of emotions in our mind, manage them well, be aware of others' emotions and be able to handle them effectively, so that we can function and contribute positively in society.

From day to day interactions with family and friends, to managing relationships, engaging at school and college, to thriving in professional environments, emotional intelligence constantly plays a vital role.  Developing such social-emotional skills is a constant work in progress.

Research establishes that listening and training in music of all genres, has a positive correlation with improving emotional intelligence. Thus, it becomes very important to explore this angle, to understand the power of music in enhancing our day to day life. 

Many of us resort to listening to some kind of music when we are stressed out, or before high intensity work that requires mental focus, or to unwind and let go. Music has the ability to transport our minds to completely different places and times, thereby helping us decompress. When we get back to the present, we are more charged and focussed to move forward in life.

Music also has the ability to impact our emotions, helping provide us a conduit to feel everything on the spectrum from joy, gratitude and love, to grief and sadness, and find a way to process them all. Music works beyond language, to provide a universal mechanism to deal with emotions.

Learning and processing music, especially in young children, provides them a way to connect with their emotions while also providing many opportunities to socialize in a healthy manner. This improves self esteem and self confidence. 

In my own experience, participating in many group singing efforts during my training years, being a part of choir at school, and later in adulthood, being part of a Carnatic choir among other singing endeavors, provided me with a multitude of opportunities to meet and interact with people and offered a common sense of purpose. The output was always greater than the sum of the parts and the harmony achieved was something to be experienced.