The Benefit of Christmas Concerts: Why They're Healthy and Why We Attend With Family

Christmas music is on overdrive. Stores, radio stations, and that annoying friend always play it too early. But traditions like attending a Christmas concert are more important than just the music.

What we know about Christmas music is that it burrows into sweet spots in our brains. For some, this is annoying, because we can’t get the songs out of our heads. But, according to Brian Rabinovitz, a lecturer at the College of William & Mary, the practice of hearing Christmas music in a community concert setting is really important.

Rabinovitz He notes that while all music can stimulate the pleasure centers in our brains, Christmas music is uniquely special. Songs heard at Christmastime stimulate treasured memories and inspire habits of reflection and gratefulness. What's unique is inside a concert hall, specifically one tied to faith where the focus of the songs is on the spiritual significance of Christmas, and the tonal patterns and lyrics drive an autobiographical reflection. These times of reflection are inspired by the setting and the music combined, calling up past faith-forming events in overlapping regions of the medial prefrontal cortex.

What this means is Christmas concerts aren't only good for your soul, they're good for your brain. Stimulating memories through music fires-up regions of the brain that may not get a lot of exercise. Calling up these memories promotes brain health, but also provides conversation points for families as parents, kids, and other relatives remember special stories from Christmases past.

In short, Christmas concerts are good for your brain health and also good for the health of your family. While you may prefer heavy metal music, and your son, daughter, or spouse may enjoy bluegrass, there is a unique connection you both have with Christmas music because it is a staple of memories. These memories should be shared with your family, with your friends, and also with yourself.

We hope to see you all at the upcoming Christmas concert at Hillcrest. It's on December 9th at 7 pm. Join us for a special pre-concert gathering from 5:30-6:30 pm with treats and conversation to encourage and unite us as we enter into the Christmas season.