Johns Hopkins Center for Music & Medicine

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Johns Hopkins Center for Music & Medicine

We seek to bring music and medicine together by 1) making music and rhythm an integral part of treating illness, and 2) improving the health of musicians.

Music as Medicine. Medicine for Musicians.

06/16/2026

New music and dance classes are coming to Baltimore City!🎶

BEATs-PD (Boosting Education and Awareness Together for people with Parkinson’s Disease) is a community-engaged program built with feedback from people with Parkinson’s disease and related conditions, their care partners, and community members across Baltimore City.

These music and dance classes were designed to directly reflect what the community shared, including music and movement preferences, and what supports would make this program most accessible. Swipe to see survey results, and to learn more about BEATs PD classes.➡️

Join BEATs PD on Thursdays at 11am this August (8/6, 8/13, 8/20, 8/27) at the Y in Druid Hill for FREE classes featuring movement, music, and connection with Dance & Bmore and Johns Hopkins. Snacks & education provided after each class.

When you sign up, you can choose to participate in a research study. Sharing feedback through surveys will help make BEATS PD better. Participation in research is optional!

Learn more and register: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/neurology-neurosurgery/specialty-areas/movement-disorders/beats-pd

Sponsored in part by Johns Hopkins Center for Music & Medicine, the Johns Hopkins Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center, and Dance for PD. Please speak with your physician before starting a new exercise program.

ID 1: Graphic announcing a “NEW MUSIC & DANCE CLASS” for people with Parkinson’s Disease and related conditions in Baltimore City. The graphic includes the text: “For People with Parkinson’s Disease and Related Conditions in Baltimore City,” “MUSIC & DANCE CLASS,” “NEW,” “,” and “SWIPE FOR A SUMMARY OF OUR RESEARCH AND TO LEARN MORE ABOUT FREE BEATs PD MUSIC CLASSES THIS AUGUST!” The graphic includes BEATs-PD and Johns Hopkins Center for Music & Medicine branding.

ID 2: A BEATs-PD community feedback summary flyer highlighting survey findings that informed the development of the music and dance program, including participant interests, preferences, and considerations for class design.

ID 3: A BEATs-PD class flyer promoting free music and dance classes for people with Parkinson’s disease and related conditions. The flyer includes class dates, times, location, registration information, and accessibility details.

06/08/2026

Do you have a song of the summer yet?

Maybe it’s something you play every summer, or a song that takes you back to a specific time or place.
Maybe it's a song that matches the season of life you're in right now. Drop your song in the comments below.

ID: White graphic with JH Music Medicine logo in top right corner, and a blue music player with an artistic graphic of ocean waves at center. The player reads “Summer Sounds. What’s your summer song?” with handle below.

06/01/2026

Why do some songs sound like summer? ☀️🕶️

Neuroscience research demonstrates that music is deeply tied to memory and emotion. Janata (2009) found that familiar music activates brain regions involved in autobiographical memory, including the medial prefrontal cortex, helping us relive specific moments and experiences from our lives.

Janata P. Cereb Cortex. 2009;19(11):2579-2594. doi:10.1093/cercor/bhp008

ID: Blue-purple graphic with cloud containing JH Medicine Logo and white and yellow text reading “Why do some songs sound like summer?” with handle below. White sketch drawings of flowers, a conch shell, a kite, a sun, an eighth note, a watermelon, a starfish, an ice cream cone, and a single flower are arranged across the bottom.

05/25/2026

Navigating post-stroke recovery and mental health more broadly is not just about physical function. Rushing et al (2022) found that a single active music therapy session delivered to 44 acute stroke survivors produced a significant change in mood with high acceptability.

These findings suggest that supporting emotional well-being in stroke survivors doesn’t have to wait. Music therapy can offer meaningful, immediate connection during the earliest days of recovery.

Rushing J, Capilouto G, Dressler EV, Gooding LF, Lee J, Olson A. Active Music Therapy Following Acute Stroke: A Single-Arm Repeated Measures Study. Journal of Music Therapy. 2021;59(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/jmt/thab017

ID: White graphic with JH Music Medicine logo top right and all text/graphics contained within a navy frame with rounded edges. Text in various shades of blue reads “Research Reflections” above a watercolor blue and yellow xylophone. Text reads, “A single active music therapy session delivered to 44 acute stroke survivors produced significant improvement in mood with high intervention acceptability. (Rushing et al., 2022).” handle is bottom center.

05/18/2026

Sleep is neuroprotective in acute stroke recovery, supporting overall well-being and neuroplasticity (Duss et al., 2017). 💤

Music has been shown to improve sleep quality in hospitalized patients (Jespersen et al., 2023) and in people with mental health diagnoses (Zhao et al., 2024). Music can reduce stress and anxiety, regulate heart rate and respiration rate, and provide a ritual to support bedtime routines.

Tell us below: Is music part of your sleep routine? 😴🎧⤵️

Duss SB, Seiler A, Schmidt MH, et al. The role of sleep in recovery following ischemic stroke: A review of human and animal data. Neurobiol Sleep Circadian Rhythms. 2016;2:94-105. Published 2016 Nov 29. doi:10.1016/j.nbscr.2016.11.003

Jespersen KV, Hansen MH, Vuust P. The effect of music on sleep in hospitalized patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Health. 2023;9(4):441-448. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2023.03.004

Zhao N, Lund HN, Jespersen KV. A systematic review and meta-analysis of music interventions to improve sleep in adults with mental health problems. European Psychiatry. 2024;67(1):e62. doi:10.1192/j.eurpsy.2024.1773

A navy graphic from the Johns Hopkins Center for Music & Medicine features the logo top right, with musical notes on a staff in the top left and the large question “IS MUSIC PART OF YOUR SLEEP ROUTINE?” (with “MUSIC” and “SLEEP” in yellow). An illustration shows a person reclining in a chair with eyes closed, wearing headphones, and appearing relaxed, alongside the text “Sleep is neuroprotective in stroke recovery” and “Music can enhance sleep quality”, with “neuroprotective” and “sleep quality” in yellow and “” at the bottom.

05/05/2026

Please check out these upcoming live music events hosted by our colleagues in the and Social Justice Concert Series!

Friday May 8th from 7-9pm in Turner Auditorium: Spring Orchestra Concert
Sunday May 10th from 3-5pm at Creative Alliance supporting Asylee Women Enterprise

05/04/2026

May is both Mental Health Awareness Month and American Stroke Month, two areas that are deeply connected. After stroke, many people experience changes in mood, identity, and cognition. Mental health is not separate from stroke recovery. It is an essential aspect of stroke recovery!

At the Center for Music & Medicine, we explore how music-based interventions can support emotional expression, regulation, and connection across the spectrum of neurologic diagnoses. Follow along this month as we share ways music can support stroke recovery and mental health. 🎶

https://www.heart.org/en/professional/quality-improvement/get-with-the-guidelines/get-with-the-guidelines-stroke/american-stroke-month

https://www.nami.org/stay-connected/events/awareness-events/mental-health-awareness-month/

ID: A white graphic from the Johns Hopkins Center for Music & Medicine features the text “JOHNS HOPKINS CENTER for MUSIC & MEDICINE” in the top right and “Mental HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH” on the left, with “Mental” in yellow script, “HEALTH” in bold navy capitals, and “AWARENESS MONTH” below; a stylized beige brain surrounded by flowers, leaves, curved arrows, and scattered musical notes sits in the center, with “” nearby, and the bottom right reads “American STROKE MONTH,” with “American” in navy script and “STROKE MONTH” in yellow all caps.

04/27/2026

Research reflections 💻🎼

This new publication highlights the potential of music therapy as an accessible, non-pharmacologic approach in cancer care. In a randomized clinical trial from Liou et al (2026), music therapy delivered via telehealth showed comparable effectiveness to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for reducing anxiety in cancer survivors, expanding options for supportive oncology interventions.

Liou KT, et al. Music Therapy vs Cognitive Behavioral Therapy via Telehealth for Anxiety in Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Clin Oncol. Published online 2026. doi:10.1200/JCO-25-00726

https://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/JCO-25-00726

ID: Watercolor white and blue graphic with JH Music Medicine logo and watercolor music notes to the right of the page and quotation marks in the top left corner. Large navy text reads, "Telehealth-delivered music therapy reduced anxiety in cancer survivors, with effects comparable to cognitive behavioral therapy. Liou et al, 2026. handle bottom right.

04/15/2026

Between the notes, music therapists are listening closely. Here’s what the JHH music therapy team is paying attention to in the diverse clinical contexts they serve.

ID 1: Graphic with the text “As Music Therapists, We Pay Attention To…” and “Between the Notes with the JHH Music Therapy Team,” alongside the handle.

ID 2: Text graphic featuring Dr. Kyu Kang describing attention to neural and behavioral responses, translating neuroscience and EEG-based research into meaningful, everyday music use for patients.

ID 3: Text graphic featuring Dr. Kerry Devlin describing attention to subtle musical responses in neurocritical care, such as eye gaze and heart rate, and their clinical and emotional significance.

ID 4: Text graphic featuring Jamie Shegogue describing attention to emotional reactions to music in her work in pediatric intensive care.

ID 5: Text graphic featuring Ali Deckard describing attention to observable connections—smiles, movement, tears, and words—to guide holistic music therapy care.

ID 6: Text graphic featuring Emily Mahoney describing attention to group safety, cohesion, and nervous system regulation in music therapy for individuals with Ataxia.

ID 7: Text graphic featuring Jason Armstrong Baker describing attention to rhythmic connection and pulse in group drumming with veterans and individuals with Parkinson’s disease.

04/13/2026

Music therapy is music...and more. Between the notes, music therapy is attunement, listening, and co-regulation. It is human connection, meaning-making, and responding in real time to the needs of patients and their families.

These are just some of the words our music therapy team uses to describe their work. What words would you add? Share in the comments below. ⤵️

ID: A graphic with a light background and dark blue and gold text reads: “MUSIC THERAPY IS MORE THAN MUSIC. IT’S…” Below, multiple white speech bubbles on a dark blue background contain the words: “ATTUNEMENT,” “LISTENING,” “NORMALIZATION,” “CO-REGULATION,” “LEGACY CREATION,” and “HUMAN CONNECTION.” The handle “” appears at the bottom. Small logos of the Johns Hopkins Center for Music & Medicine and World Music Therapy Week appear within two of the speech bubbles.

Address

600 N Wolfe Street
Baltimore, MD
21287

Website

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/center-for-music-and-medicine/index.html

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