Top 5 reasons Why you should learn to play an instrument

For many years, it’s been theorized and studied that learning a musical instrument benefits your brain. Like every other muscle in your body, your brain needs to be exercised in order to make it stronger. Many people get this exercise through reading, puzzles, and even learning a new language. However, the brain needs to be constantly fed in order to stay in shape. Learning a new musical instrument not only feeds the brain, but learning different musical arrangements helps sustain this growth. Below are more reasons why you should learn to play a new instrument.

1. playing Improves memory

It’s been widely studied and proven that learning a new musical instrument improves both your cognitive memory and muscle memory, even in adults. Learning a new instrument utilizes both halves of your brain, making it work harder and improving your memory. It’s also been found that learning a new instrument can enhance your verbal memory, spatial reasoning, and literacy skills.

2. Music Relieves Stress

Music has a major effect on our emotions. Listening to music can make one happy or sad, or even amplify the current emotion you’re feeling. Slow music, in particular, has been shown to lower heart rate and blood pressure, which in turn lowers the stress hormone (cortisol), and causes a feeling of relaxation. Most people unwind by excessive eating, drinking, television, or aimless web browsing. This isn’t as effective as learning an instrument, because learning can bring feelings of happiness. When you’re working on a particularly challenging piece, the “Aha” moment of playing it correctly can cause the release of the reward hormone (dopamine), which makes you feel happy and accomplished.

3. Playing can make you smarter

Studies have proven a correlation between musical training and academic success among both children and adults. Learning to play music stimulates the brain, and improves on your abstract reasoning ability. Abstract reasoning is the essential skill needed for learning and applying math and science.

4. Playing music makes you more creative

Perfecting a piece of music does wonders for the creative side of your brain. No matter how much the composer annotates their composition, they cannot fully express how their music should be played. This allows you as the player to inject your own personality and style into the piece, and create something unique.

5. Playing music Is fun

We can spend all day going over the science of learning a musical instrument, and how it contributes to your wellbeing, but the main takeaway is that it’s highly enjoyable for the player. Watching television and scrolling through social media are passive, and provide no sustenance or stimulation. Music stimulates your brain, and makes you feel happy and occupied.