Source note · R061
Pilot Study on the Effects of Music-making on Cortisol, Alpha-amylase and Immunoglobulin-a Among Older Amateur Musicians
An eight-person rehearsal pilot does not establish a stress or immune benefit from band playing.
- Setting
- Community bands
- Kind of evidence
- Intervention studies
- Review extent
- Main text reviewed
What was studied
Older Montreal New Horizons musicians completed a one-off rehearsal and a music-documentary session, with condition order randomized.
What it contributes
Cortisol fell significantly after the documentary condition, but not after rehearsal. The study found no significant changes in the other reported stress and immune measures.
Where the evidence stops
This was a small feasibility study of short-term measurements. A biomarker change is not a demonstrated clinical benefit, and a nonsignificant result does not prove the absence of any effect.
About this review
The main text was reviewed for its methods, reported findings and limits. This source note is an editorial summary, not a reproduction of the work.
Source note updated September 7, 2026. Read our approach to evidence.