Everyone is affected by music. It speaks to our minds, taps into our feelings and even has the power to make our bodies move.
The kind of music we listen to continues to evolve and the way we listen to music is a world away from the scratchy gramophone recordings of yesteryear which have morphed into the digital files of today. But music remains part of the fabric of life.
Recent research by London-based sports psychologists found that different types of music could even affect our performance in the gym.
Boffins from Brunel University teamed up with Spotify to draw up the ultimate workout playlist.
Results showed that urban music, particularly rap, was the best to run or jog to because its tempo best matched the stride rate of the average runner.
For the record, pop was best for warming up and cooling down, while dance beats were perfectly suited to strength work or weight training.
When words are not enough, music can help people overcome adversity.
Music therapy has been successfully used for centuries as a way of helping people connect with their feelings, express themselves or boost creativity and confidence.
Now urban music is beginning to take its place as the new kid on the music therapy block and its speaking a language that young people understand.
A project in downtown St Louis in the US has shown just how amazing the impact of music interventions can be.
Earlier this summer, high school kids performed their own songs at the Courage Counts Showcase, a culmination of an eight-week programme to help students cope with the trials and tribulations of growing up.
Aged between ten and 13, kids worked with music therapy mentors to vocalise what they think and feel about the way they live.
When young people are able to write their own lyrics, they can express themselves and the lifestyles they experience in a way that means something to them.
In the UK, there are lots of opportunities for young people to jump onto the urban music bandwagon and tap into the talent within.
The Youth Music Foundation aims to give every child and young person the life-changing gift of making music with projects and workshops all over the country.
In the South East, AudioActive uses urban music as an educational tool and works with schools and local councils to open musical doors for children from all walks of life.
Making music can make us feel great, but it can have a huge impact physically, too.
Nordoff Robbins is a music therapy charity in the UK that aims to change lives.
Emeli Sande is one of a number of musical ambassadors for the charity and she says she finds it incredible how music can transform lives.
Emeli is the face behind Ed’s Story, which charts the amazing journey of a 20-year-old student who was hit by a speeding taxi in January 2012. As he lay in a coma, his family gathered to say their final farewells but Ed beat the odds and woke up.
Nordoff Robbins’ musical therapy played a massive part in Ed’s rehabilitation. He says he went into hospital in a coma and came out singing. Now that’s got to be music to everyone’s
ears.
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