Can going to concerts help you live longer? A new study conducted by O2 and behavioral scientist, Patrick Fagan, seems to think so. Intrigued by their findings, we thought we’d weigh in on the musical science behind this research.

O2’s study concludes that attending a live music event every 2 weeks can extend your life expectancy by as much as 9 years. How do they figure that? O2 and Patrick Fagan performed psychometric and heart rate tests on participants over a variety of activities, including concert attendance, yoga practice, and dog walking. What they found was that attending concerts spiked feelings of wellbeing by 21%, and happiness indicators, such as self-worth and closeness-to-others, by over 25%. These were nearly double the results registered by other activities. Still not impressed? Participants also experienced a 75% spike in mental stimulation while experiencing live shows. [source: O2]

By factoring in the relationship between high feelings of well-being and life expectancy, researchers were able to arrive at a 9 year life expectancy for those who attend concerts at least once every 2 weeks.

One more tidbit from the study was that those who attend concerts reported being 67% happier than those who simply listened to music in private.

Phew, that’s a lot of science. So what’s it all saying? O2’s study is yet further proof that music has the power to make us feel good and to connect us with others. When we feel good, it positively affects both our mental and physical states, resulting in more of the chemicals that aid in leading longer, healthier lives.

Now, consider what shared musical experiences can do for the well-being of your employees and the overall success of your company. By conveying your core messaging through collective songwriting, performance, and entertainment, you inspire happier employees, deeply bonded to each other and the company. This is at the heart of what we do at SongDivision.

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