The French poet Victor Hugo once said “Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent” Playing an instrument has so many benefits and can bring joy to you and people around you. EffectiveMusicTeaching.com goes in depth about the benefits of playing a musical instrument. Here are 10 reasons to pick up an instrument and start playing!

1. Increases the capacity of your memory.
   Research shows playing a musical instrument stimulates your brain and can increases your memory.  A study was done in which 22 children from age 3 to 4 and a half years old were given either singing lessons or keyboard lessons.  A control group of 15 children received no music lessons at all. Both groups participated in the same preschool activities.  The results showed that preschoolers who had weekly keyboard lessons improved their spatial-temporal skills 34 percent more than the other children.  Not only that, but researchers said that the effect lasted long term.
2. Benefits your time management and organizational skills.
   Learning how to play an instrument requires you to really learn how to be organized and to manage your time wisely.  A good musician knows that the quality of practice time is more valuable than the quantity.  In order for a musician to progress quicker, he/she will learn how to organize his/her practice time and plan different challenges to work on, making efficient use of time.
3. Improves team skills.
   Team skills are a very important aspect of being successful in life.  Playing an instrument requires you to work with others to make music.  In band and orchestra settings you must learn how to cooperate with the people around you.  Also, in order for a group to make beautiful music, each player and section must learn how to listen to each other and play together.
4. Teaches you perseverance.
   Learning to play an instrument takes time and effort, which really teaches you patience and perseverance.  Most people can’t play every piece of music perfectly the first time.  In fact, the majority of musicians have to work difficult sections of music multiple times in a row before they can play it correctly.
5. Boosts your coordination.
   The art of playing an instrument requires a lot of hand-eye coordination.  By reading musical notes on a page, your brain subconsciously must convert that note into specific motor patterns while also adding breathing and rhythm to the mix.
6. Builds up your mathematical ability.
   Reading music requires counting notes and rhythms and can help your math skills.  Also, learning music theory includes many mathematical aspects.  Studies have shown that students who play instruments or study the arts are often better in math and achieve higher grades in school than students who don’t. 
7. Improves your reading and comprehension skills.
   According to a study published in the journal Psychology of Music, “Children exposed to a multi-year program of music tuition involving training in increasingly complex rhythmic, tonal, and practical skills display superior cognitive performance in reading skills compared with their non-musically trained peers.”
8. Sharpens your concentration.
   Playing music by yourself requires you to concentrate on things like pitch, rhythm, tempo, note duration, and quality of sound.  Playing music in a group involves even more concentration because you must learn to not only hear yourself, but you must listen to all the other sections and play in harmony with the rest of the group.
9. Fosters your self-expression and relieves stress.
   It’s your instrument, so you can play whatever you want on it!  The more advanced you become on an instrument, the greater you’ll be able to play what you want and how you want.  Music is an art–just like an artist can paint his/her emotions onto a canvas, so can a musician play a piece with emotion.  This has proven to relieve stress and can be a great form of therapy.  In fact, music therapy has been useful in treating children and teens with autism, depression, and other disorders.
10. Creates a sense of achievement.
    Overcoming musical challenges that you thought you’d never quite master can give you a great sense of pride about yourself.  When you first start learning how to play an instrument, it seems like just holding out a note for a couple beats or hitting a high pitch is an amazing accomplishment.  As you practice and become a more experienced musician, making beautiful sounding music pleasing not only to your ear, but others as well is a very rewarding experience.

So if we haven’t convinced you yet, try proving us wrong. Sign up for lessons or come in, pick up an instrument and start reveling in all these benefits you can achieve. Call us today at 905 688 5051 to set up your free lesson time today!

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