The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 highlights the critical skills that will define the workforce of tomorrow.

New research suggests that playing instruments and singing may support brain health as we age. A study found that engaging in musical activities, especially playing keyboard instruments, correlates with improved memory and cognitive function later in life.

This article dives into the history and enduring vitality of the Brisbane City Pops Orchestra who have recently celebrated their milestone 50th-anniversary performance. The orchestra boasts a diverse ensemble of musicians spanning generations, including members who have been involved since the beginning.

Imagine having a singing group at your work. Imagine starting the day with a song with your colleagues. What would your work culture feel like and how would you feel about going to work?

As always it is all about context and what you trying the measure. This study found that background music for musicians leads to greater productivity, than non-musicians.

Our auditory processing system is possibly our largest information-gathering sense. It keeps us safe and it processes mountains of information without our knowledge. It also never turns off. But, sometimes it gets tired and a bit overwhelmed.

Do you use background music when you are completing a creative task? If you do, do you find that your creative output is better, more innovative or unexpected, or does the background music hinders these outputs?

When we have to do a task, many people often choose to put music on in the background rather than complete the task in silence. The researchers found that “background music increased the proportion of task-focus states by decreasing mind-wandering states but did not affect external distraction states.”

While learning a musical instrument when we are young wires our brain well for life, taking up a musical instrument in our 40s and 50s keeps that wiring in top condition.

Music is medicine and one we can prescribe to ourselves! This fascinating study proposes that we use music for different reasons at different stages of our lives. With this knowledge, therapists and educators could use music in more effective ways.

This paper looked at the research that has found that musicians have better speech in noise perception and asked if short-term music training might be beneficial for older adults, even if they didn’t have music training in their background.

This is a fascinating idea – how do we fall in love with music? And as we age, why do we like music less? This article explains the biological concept very well.