Young people today face significant challenges that affect their mental, emotional and physical health. Just a simple search of the news relates numerous cases of abuse, abductions, shootings, family turmoil, health challenges and uncertain futures. More families are seeking extracurricular activities for their kids, to try and infuse some stability into their lives. Learning to play an instrument offers mental, physical and emotional benefits that will help your youngster all through life.
What Is It About Music?
In his play The Mourning Bride from 1697, William Congreve penned the famous line, “Music has charms to soothe a savage beast.” While his intent was not to insult children, many families have found that to be true. How many moms have discovered that playing music in the home helps to tame her “savage beasts” so she can perform daily chores or other tasks?
Even lovable Hagrid from the popular Harry Potter series of books knew the power of music. When boasting that the way to handle any beast was in knowing how to “calm” it, he unwittingly revealed that his three-headed dog “Fluffy” would fall immediately to sleep by playing music in its presence!
Learning to play a musical instrument has been shown to help mental, physical and emotional health by reducing stress, anxiety and depression. Plus, gaining those skills and using them to produce music one enjoys has a profound affect to increase excitement and happiness while reducing confusion, anger, tension, fatigue and depression.
This doesn’t mean your child must be an impresario; skill levels have absolutely nothing to do with whether or not your child enjoys the benefits. As young people are seeking ways to express themselves in ways they can be heard, respected and believed, learning to play an instrument can become a primary means to share their ideas with the world.
Exercise Your Brain
Learning to play an instrument requires repetition, training motor skills to handle new movements, improving coordination and concentration. All these require the brain to act in new ways and learn new skills, reflexes and responses. Plus, the memory gets an extensive workout, which is always good for younger people.
Elevate Your Health
Playing a musical instrument increases physical activity. This causes the body to release endorphins, those depression-busting hormones that bring a sense of ease, confidence and satisfaction. Most musical instruments require using the arms, hands, and even the back, training and strengthening those muscles. And, of course, playing the drums is a superb cardio workout for young and old.
Express Your Emotions
The act of creating music with an instrument can be very effective at processing emotions and feelings. It is an entirely positive method of working out anxieties and creatively sharing about issues and concerns. Writing songs is a time-honored and proven method of releasing stress and communicating ideas with an audience.
Rock Island Sound and founder Paul Bessolo provide numerous opportunities for your youngster to catch the fever of playing an instrument. They offer:
Music lessons by professional instructors that are fun, interactive and personalized so that each student will have a better understanding of their instrument
Music camps for specific disciplines and instruments
New and used instruments for beginners through experts
Instrument repairs
Instrument rentals
With locations in Tarrytown and Rye, NY, Rock Island Sound offers everything musicians of all ages and skill levels could possibly need. Stop in today or message us online to learn more about your children of any age learning to play a musical instrument.