According to biblical lore, David, prior to becoming the Israeli king, was one of the first documented users of music as therapy. David was commissioned by King Saul to play for him music on the harp or lyre to become well from the actions of an evil spirit. The Greek philosopher, mathematician, musician and physician Pythagoras had supported the idea of using music that is structured to the laws of harmony to bring about benefits to health and help one become in tune with nature.
Some medical institutions, like the Ohio State University Medical Center, are promoting relaxation with music and sounds as a form of non-drug pain relief. Music may have an effect on sensory pathways that can directly affect pain modulation. On-hold music on telephone systems apparently has a calming effect that can improve a caller's patience. A study conducted by U.S.A. Business Telephone Today concluded that 52 percent of people on hold on the telephone hang up after one minute of waiting without music, while only 13 percent of a group provided with music dropped its calls.
An article by E. Glenn Schellenberg of the University of Toronto concluded that listening to music had short-term cognitive benefits, and that music lessons in childhood had small but long-lasting intellectual benefits. In addition, a research team from the Stanford University School of Medicine has discovered that music can engage areas of the brain involved in paying attention, making predictions and updating the event in memory. While improved cognitive ability may not have a direct effect on feeling better, being able to do well in activities requiring one to think certainly improves confidence and helps one feel better about himself.
The study of music as a tool for health care has led to the development of music therapy, a discipline that makes use of evidence-based use of music as intervention for a variety of conditions. Music therapists work with adults, children, geriatric populations and others to provide benefits of music therapy, such as reducing pain; promoting positive mood change; counteracting depression; increasing physical, mental and social-emotional functioning; providing sensory and intellectual stimulation; and improving communication and physical coordination skills.