If you’ve ever imagined yourself rocking along to your favorite music, you’re not alone. Many people, young and old, daydream about playing a musical instrument. It’s never too late to take the plunge and begin learning to play. Lessons from a talented instructor at Rock Island Sound can make your dreams a reality – maybe not your membership in a popular rock band, but at least you can play along!
Practically anyone can learn a musical instrument and enjoy playing music. If you’re game, or even if you just wonder if it’s possible, check out these 10 reasons you should learn a musical instrument.
Exercise Your Memory
Learning a musical instrument requires an alert and attentive mind. Repeating notes, scores and movements exercise your memory, sharpening it and improving quick recall. As you store new information about music and your particular instrument, you’ll find your memory capacity improved for other pursuits as well.
Improve Cognitive Skills
Music training has been shown to improve cognitive skills, even for people over the age of 65. Hearing, memory and muscle control all become more active and attuned. Some research has even demonstrated that you can help raise your IQ by at least seven points by learning a musical instrument! Who doesn’t need more smarts, and the ability to apply them, in every area of life?
Refine Organizational Skills
Learning a musical instrument requires some sense of organization and time management. Those who do not use their time wisely and practice regularly will not improve. These are the people who own neglected instruments that gather dust in the closet or for sale on e-bay. Disorganization led to a lack of interest and/or progress and an eventual disregard of the entire notion of playing music.
Improve Coordination
Playing music on any instrument requires a coordination of mind and body. At first it may seem unnatural or difficult (remember learning to drive a manual transmission?); but before long, your mind gets the knack of how to trigger your motor skills and convert notes into patterns, along with controlling rhythm and breathing. Hands, arms, back, eyes, lungs, tongue and more must all work in harmony – and they will with regular effort!
Increase Mathematical Abilities
We must confess that reading and playing music will require some math skills. Counting notes, rhythms and more is crucial. Music theory is actually based on mathematical concepts, so you may be surprised how your knowledge in math will increase as you learn a musical instrument.
Enjoy New Self-Expression
Music is an elevated art form that is one of the most popular forms of personal expression. Playing an instrument, either with your own music or someone else’s, is a way to exercise your independence and individuality. Use it as an outlet for your emotions. Some of the most significant songwriters and musicians of our culture used their music to effect awareness and change.
Realize Health Benefits
Learning a musical instrument and playing regularly can help you realize some mental and physical health benefits. Music has long been used for therapy, helping people relax, reduce blood pressure and handle feelings of stress. You can also get great physical benefits from the movement and regular breathing required. Playing some instruments can be more beneficial than jogging!
Learn Self-Discipline and Perseverance
No one ever learned to play a musical instrument with any level of skill without practice. Picking it up again and again requires self-discipline and perseverance. Focus and repetition are needed to learn a piece of music without mistakes. Some music can be challenging to learn, and even more challenging to master. But playing it correctly can offer such a sense of pride and accomplishment that is makes all the self-discipline and perseverance well worthwhile.
Learn to Relax
Music not only soothes the savage beast, but you as well. Musicians themselves benefit from the release of fluid motion and creativity. Vibration from a closely-held instrument can actually reduce stress, releasing endorphins that counteract stress and anxiety. Relaxing and enjoying time playing music can become one of your favorite escapes.
Bust Out and Have Fun!
OK, enough about work, effort and perseverance. Playing a musical instrument is FUN! You don’t have to become Beethoven or Bob Dylan to enjoy playing music. In fact, Bob Dylan popularized several songs that only use a few basic chords played over and over again. You can do that, too! Enjoy all that learning a musical instrument has to offer by showcasing your talent with family and friends, or even in the privacy of your own space.
When you’re ready to learn a musical instrument, Rock Island Sound can help. We can help you choose the best instrument that fits and get you started in playing it well. Contact us today to learn more.
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