There is indeed a difference between listening to and playing music. Listening is passive and not as interactive, whereas playing music is active and collaborative. But the good news is that you do not need to have special skills to participate in music creation. A simple act of clapping along and/or singing along is also a form of collaboration in music-making.

Studies have shown that when we try to create music together- such as keeping the beat or singing along- we share positive feelings with those we are synchronizing with.

It is not yet an exact science, but it may be attributed to the release of endorphins, which results from coordinating movement with others. In other words, making music causes our brains to create warm, positive feelings.