The sounds of quarantine: musical engagement and well-being in young adults during Covid-19

As a result of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, regional lockdowns and social distancing rules have been introduced that have limited the opportunities to engage in musical activities. Given the psychological benefits of music, the present study explored whether music could nevertheless be an effective tool to help foster well-being during Covid- 19. To our knowledge, this study was the first that has explored the relationship between music and both subjective and eudaimonic well- being during Covid-19. In total 246 people (between 18-35) completed a survey about music which contained questions related to its everyday uses (musical activities, time spent on music, reasons for music listening termed ‘listening strategies’) and functions (importance of music, music- induced emotions) and to subjective and eudaimonic well-being before and after the outbreak of Covid-19. Results supported the hypotheses and showed that during the pandemic people have found new ways of engaging in musical activities, the importance of music and music- induced emotions increased, and people have more often chosen music to regulate their mood and to relax. The results also showed that listening strategies could predict subjective and eudaimonic well-being during Covid-19 which suggests that people have indeed used music to help them cope with the pandemic.