The emerging field of neuromusicology, the scientific study of the effects of music on the brain, is rooted in the ancient cross-cultural belief that music has a therapeutic effect on the mind and body. In the past 50 years, based on social science concepts of music's influence and role in human life and society, some forms of music therapy have gained acceptance for the treatment of behavioral problems. The therapeutic value of music is generally believed to stem from music's cultural role in facilitating social learning and emotional experiences. More recently, however, the growing adaptation of brain research methods for the study of musical cognition has encouraged research into biomedical applications of music. New findings suggest that music can stimulate complex cognitive, affective, and sensorimotor processes in the brain, which can be generalized and transferred to nonmusical therapeutic purposes.