Last weekend, I saw my favourite band, Human Nature, live in concert in my hometown Canberra. For two hours, I was completely immersed, singing, clapping, and even dancing in my seat. It reminded me just how powerful music can be for our mental health. A totally mindful experience where I simply focused on my senses and my and others’ enjoyment.

Human Nature have always been my go-to feel-good group. Their harmonies, warmth, and effortless joy are infectious. Watching them perform live, still as talented, humble, and connected to their audience as ever, felt like being transported back in time to the days when their CDs lived permanently in my car stereo. Seeing them on stage again, the nostalgia was real, but so too was the happiness that comes from shared experience.

Research consistently shows that music, especially live music, has a profound impact on wellbeing. Listening to or performing music releases dopamine, the brain’s feel-good neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood, motivation, and energy. That’s why your body can’t help but sway or tap along, it’s a physiological response to pleasure and connection.

But attending a concert offers something even more special: social connection. Looking around the audience, I saw people of all ages singing together, sharing smiles, and mouthing every word. These collective moments of joy and belonging are exactly what counter loneliness and low mood. Even if you go alone, you’re part of something bigger, a shared rhythm that unites a room full of strangers. I went with good friends and so it wasn’t just a night out, it was a night of connection and ongoing joy that we’re still talking about days later.

For many of us, life can become routine. We move from work to home, from one task to the next, and forget to seek out experiences that bring us alive. Going to a concert, especially one that reminds you of happy times, can reignite that spark. It reminds us that joy isn’t just something that happens by chance, it’s something we can actively create.

There’s also something grounding about watching performers who have been together for decades. Human Nature have grown up with their audience, evolving but staying true to themselves. Seeing that authenticity and long-term friendship on stage is uplifting. It’s a reminder that connection, consistency, and passion are powerful for our own emotional resilience too.

After the concert, I noticed how much lighter I felt. My worries seemed smaller, my body less tense, and my mind more at peace. That post-concert glow isn’t just in your head, it’s the result of your body releasing endorphins, oxytocin, and serotonin, the same chemicals linked to love, laughter, and exercise.

So, whether it’s Human Nature or your own favourite artist, go and see live music when you can. Dance, sing, feel it in your bones. It’s not just entertainment; it’s therapy in harmony. As Human Nature would say, all you need is love and a little Motown soul.