This study was done to determine the effect of music therapy on stress and quality of life in patients undergoing hemodialysis. The research design was a nonequivalent control group pre -post test design. The subjects consisted of 21 patients who received hemodialysis in two hospitals located in Kwang Ju. The fourteen receiving treatment in one hospital were assigned to the experimental group and the seven in the other hospital to the control group. Data were gathered from December 14, 1992 to January 16, 1993 through questionnaires and physiological measurement. Data were analyzed by the SAS package using frequency, t-test, paired t-test and Pearson Prod uct - Moment Correlation Coefficient. The results of this study are summarized as follows ; 1. There were no significant differences between the two groups on stress scores and quality of life scores before the treatment. 2. The mean score on the psychological stress scale for the patients undergoing hemodialysis was 2.48 out of a maximum mean score of four, the items with high stress scores were “feeling of weakness and annoyed by everything”, “limitation of food”, “limitation of fluid”, “change in skin color” in that order. The psychological category showed the highest stress score followed by developmental, scoioeconomic and physiological stress categories in that order. 3. In the experimental group, post - test diastolic blood pressure decerased significantly(t=3.24, p=0.0064), but in the control group pre and post - test diastolic blood pressure were not different. 4. There was no difference between the two groups on the pre and post -test psychological stress scores or the depression scores. 5. The mean score of quality of life for patients undergoing hemodialysis was 2.75 out of a maxi-mum mean score of five. The category of ‘emtional state’ showed the highest score followed by ‘self - esteem’, ‘physical state and function’, ‘economic life’, ‘relationship with neighbors’ and ‘family relationship’ categories in that order. There was no significant difference in the pre and post - test quality of life scores between the two groups. 6. Hypothesis 1 that patients undergoing hemodialysis who received music therapy would have less stress than patients undergoing hemodialysis who did not receive music therapy is divided into two sub - hypotheses. 1) The first sub-hypothesis that patients undergoing hemodialysis who received music therapy would have less physiological stress than patients undergoing hemodialysis who did not receive music therapy was partly supported. Among three physiological stress indices (pulse, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure), only diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly after the treatment in the experimental group. 2) The second sub-hypothesis that patients undergoing hemodialysis who received music therapy would have less psychological stress than patients undergoing hemodialysis who did not receive music therapy was not supported. Psychological stress score and depression score were not significantly different before and after the treatment. 7. Hypothesis 2 that patients undergoing hemodialysis who received music therapy would have a higher quality of life score than patients undergoing. hemodialysis who did not received music therapy was not supported. There were no significant changes in the quality of life scores before and after the treatment.