Background: Research into the wider benefits of music education has a long history dating back to 1975 when Hurwitz and colleagues demonstrated the impact of the Kodaly method on cognition in primary school children. Since then, much research has explored the nature of possible wider benefits. Although music making in the community has a very long history, it is relatively recently that research has considered its possible benefits or effects. Aims: This presentation aims to review the literature relating to the wider benefits of music in educational and community contexts considering the impact of listening to and actively engaging with music on moods, emotions, wellbeing and cognition across the lifespan. Comparisons are made between the two sectors to explore how each could learn from the other. Method: A comprehensive literature review was undertaken drawing on relevant data bases. All papers related to the aims were included regardless of their methodology, quantitative or qualitative. Commonalities and differences between the research findings and methods adopted were considered. Findings: The evidence demonstrated that listening to or actively making music has a profound impact on our moods and emotions throughout the lifespan. The impact of active engagement with music on cognition is less clear. While there is a general acknowledgement that music enhances aural processing in children, benefits to phonological awareness, language, literacy, memory, spatial reasoning, mathematics, executive functions, intellectual development and academic attainment are hotly disputed. Community music making with those experiencing a variety of challenges and seniors has shown clear social and emotional benefits. Possible benefits for dementia sufferers include enhanced executive functions and the elicitation of memories. Conclusions and implications for education: Considerable time and effort has been spent in researching the effects of engaging with music in community and educational contexts. Both sectors are fraught with disagreements about methodology. Quantitative research faces major challenges in attempting to take account of the many confounding variables and the way that individuals respond to music differently. Qualitative research has high ecological validity, but is considered as anecdotal by those preferring quantitative methods. Drawing on research from both traditions it is possible to state with confidence that music can impact wellbeing across the lifespan through its influence on the emotions and the social opportunities it offers, although the implications of context (community vs. formal education) remains under-researched. Practitioners and researchers from both sectors can benefit from closer co-operation to maximise positive outcomes.