" Whether playing an instrument or listening to the radio, music increases heart-rate variability, though making music has a stronger effect.4 Music engages most of the limbic system, including the hippocampus, anterior cingulate, and nucleus accumbens, which is why it can be motivating and enjoyable and can help regulate your emotions.5 It can also be soothing, lowering blood pressure6 and reducing stress. "

― Alex Korb , The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time