Music: Why It Matters

As countries went into lockdown in 2020, people across the UK and beyond turned to music for comfort and solidarity. Neighbours sang to each other from their balconies, and individuals participated in online music sessions that fostered an experience of socially distanced togetherness. Nicholas Cook argues that the value of music extends far beyond simple enjoyment. Music can significantly enhance well-being, strengthen interpersonal relationships, cultivate cultural tolerance, and improve civil cohesion.

At the same time, music can also be a powerful tool of persuasion or ideology. Thinking about music helps bring into sharp focus the values that are mobilised in today's culture wars. Making music together inherently builds relationships of interdependence and trust; rather than merely offering escapism, it provides a blueprint for a community founded on mutual obligation and interconnectedness. Music: Why It Matters is for anyone who loves playing, listening to, or thinking about music, as well as those pursuing it as a career.