Music Soothes -- Join AARP at the International Jazz and Blues Festival

AARP North Carolina Triad Region is a proud sponsor of the 12^th Annual John Coltrane International Jazz & Blues Festival on Saturday and Sunday, September 2-3, in High Point, NC. All AARP members are eligible for a 15% discount on tickets. To receive your discount code, please register here: You will receive an email response with the discount code you can use to purchase.

Click here to learn more about the John Coltrane International Jazz & Blues Festival.

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Music, Mental Health and Well Being
With society emerging from the COVID 19 pandemic, the focus on mental health and well being has increased as people are forced to confront the effects of isolation, grief, health challenges and coping with the stress of post-pandemic realities, such as high prices, remote work and job loss, uncertain future within a constantly changing world.

A mental illness is a physical illness of the brain that causes disturbances in thinking, behavior, energy or emotion that make it difficult to cope with the ordinary demands of life.

Each year, more than 18% of adults struggle with some type of anxiety disorder, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder (panic attacks), generalized anxiety disorder and specific phobias. Mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar depression, affect nearly 10% of adults each year and are characterized by difficulties in regulating one’s mood.

Listening to music, playing an instrument or even playing it in the background to fill the atmosphere can be helpful in managing these disorders. A study was done three years ago conducted by the Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH) to examine how music influences brain health. Launched in 2015, the GCBH is an independent collaborative of scientists, clinicians, scholars and policy experts convened by AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) to provide the foremost thinking on what people and professionals can do to maintain and improve brain health.

In the report, the GCBH experts concluded that listening and making music holds significant potential to support brain health as people age. According to the report, music stimulates the brain center, can enhance immunity, and regulate neurochemicals that help people cope with stress.

AARP also conducted a survey which found that adults who engage in music making and listening are more likely to self-report their overall health, brain health, and cognitive function as excellent or very good. The survey also found that adults who engage in music report lower average levels of anxiety and depression. So, incorporate more music in your life. Play, listen and dance to it. Attend more concerts and festivals to experience music presented in a live setting. Most importantly, enjoy the positive thoughts and feelings the music brings to you. Read more on the AARP report and survey here.

AARP NC Triad will be exhibiting at the festival so please come by our booth to spin our prize wheel and take advantage of our 360-degree Photo Booth (9/2 only).

About:

The Friends of John Coltrane formed in 2009 to create the John Coltrane International Jazz & Blues Festival, and was incorporated as a 501(c)3 charitable organization.  An integral part of the organization’s mission is to preserve and celebrate the life and music of John Coltrane in his hometown of High Point, North Carolina.  Importantly, this mission includes the enrichment of lives through jazz and other musical genres – in an effort to build a stronger artistic community. And as an educational initiative, TFJC donates musical instruments to students in underserved populations throughout the state of North Carolina.  To learn more please visit https://friendsofjohncoltrane.com/