Many people rely on music to make them feel better when times are tough. But what if you discovered it’s not music that does something to you, it’s what you do with the music that is powerful? Because we hold the power for how music affects us, we can use it to make us feel better, or take us deeper into the darkside. Professor Katrina McFerran is Head of Music Therapy at the University of Melbourne where she leads a team of researchers and teachers who investigate the ways that people use music to promote health and wellbeing. She is a world expert on music and adolescents, with a particular interest in preventing youth mental health problems through positive engagement with music. She has published three books, including ‘Adolescents, Music and Music Therapy’, as well as creating a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) called ‘How Music Can Change Your Life’. She regularly writes and presents internationally on the relationship between music and wellbeing. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx