Live Music: Better than Sex?

Written By Ruth Hartt

A new experiment out of the Dresden Music Festival just gave us scientific proof of something many of us have long felt in our bones:

Music builds deeper connection than a hug. Even deeper than sex.

Researchers measured oxytocin levels (the “love hormone”) in concertgoers before and after a live performance. The results?

  • Listening to music: oxytocin spiked by over 400%

  • Playing music together: nearly doubled oxytocin levels

For comparison: A passionate kiss or 20-second hug barely moves the needle.

The study concluded that live music creates more profound biological bonding than physical touch.

Not a metaphor. A measurable chemical fact.

Music doesn’t just sound good. It rewires us for connection—with ourselves, with the performers, and with each other.

If you’re marketing classical music, opera, or ballet, put that in your value proposition.

Outsiders need proof that your art is relevant. This is a data point they can’t ignore.

Ready to prove your arts organization’s relevance?

Ruth Hartt

Ruth is an opera singer who swapped the stage for the world of business innovation. Now she helps arts and culture organizations ignite radical growth by championing a radically customer-first audience engagement model.

Blending deep arts and nonprofit experience with eight years as Chief of Staff at the Clayton Christensen Institute—a globally recognized authority on business and social transformation—Ruth equips arts leaders to redefine relevance, expand audiences, and unlock new demand.

A frequent speaker at industry conferences and dual-certified in digital marketing strategy, Ruth is leading a movement to grow arts audiences by aligning strategy with the needs of today’s consumer—future proofing the sector with a business model that’s built for today’s digital world.

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