Music For Comfort

Last night I was watching a documentary on PBS where famous individuals (actors, chefs, directors, etc) were being interviewed about their ancestory.  Yo-Yo Ma was on talking about his father who was a violin player.  Yo-Yo Ma's father studied in Paris during WWII and one of the things he mentioned was that during this time, there were black outs in Paris.  So his father would memorize Bach and Beethoven and the likes during the day and play them at night during the blackouts to help bring comfort to his neighbors.  This was so profound to me.  We certainly think of music bringing joy into people's live.  We think about summer music festivals, enjoying music while sitting on the grass, listening to local bands at town fairs or even attending concerts and dancing the night away.  But, yes, music can bring comfort to those who are sad, scared, or in need.  The question is: Is it our culture or something inside of us that leans to music when we need to be comforted?