As Albert Einstein observed, “once you stop learning, you start dying”. This quote is extremely pertinent in this day and age, where everything moves so fast that we must continuously acquire new skills to keep up with the pace. In addition to staying up-to-date, developing new skills is exciting and has many other benefits. For example, learning to play a musical instrument stimulates neurons and can build your confidence.
Do you dream of becoming the next Beethoven, but don’t know if you should start practicing the piano, violin, guitar, or other musical tools? We might be able to give you the motivation you need. Here are 8 perks of playing an instrument:
1. Relieves Stress
Stress can be harmful to your overall well-being, and music is ideal for keeping you calm. Soft tones have a relaxing and soothing effect on our emotions and can even lower our heart rate and blood pressure. Therefore, when you play an instrument, you are able to reduce your stress level by decreasing your cortisol production.
2. Cultivates Patience
To develop a new skill comes with its loads of struggles during the first days and learning to play a musical instrument is no exception. You will have to memorize further information, notes, learn chord shapes, and won’t get immediate results. While it will take some time to adapt, you will also develop the virtue of patience when persevering.
3. Develops a Sense of Accomplishment
Practice makes perfect! Although it might sound like a cliché, it is nonetheless true. In fact, after you’ve nurtured patience with so much practice, once you start nailing it, you’ll also enjoy an enormous sense of self-worth and accomplishment, especially if you’ve been struggling a lot before.
4. Boosts Confidence
When you practice an instrument, you will eventually end up playing in front of a group of people, including family members, friends and colleagues, or perhaps a concert audience. This will encourage you to express yourself freely and give you the necessary grit to keep your composure when others are watching you.
5. Improves Memory
Did you know that practicing an instrument makes you use both sides of your brain? Yes, you’ve read right! In fact, research showed that acquiring this new skill can be an inexpensive yet effective method to treat people with learning disabilities. While for healthy populations, playing a musical instrument can enhance your literacy abilities and verbal memory.
6. Stimulates Creativity
Once you are more comfortable performing, you will be eager to express yourself and convey your emotions through your note composition and melody. Whether you are writing a whole new song or taking inspiration from another musical version, playing an instrument will allow you to craft your own masterpiece, thereby stimulating and nurturing your creativity.
7. Reinforces Immune System
In many countries, music is considered a cure and is used to relieve stress. While researchers are now exploring the potentially positive results of playing an instrument, psychologists Levitin and Mona Lisa Chanda explained in an analysis of 400 studies that music can strengthen the immune system.
8. Builds Time Management Skills
As we have said before, learning to play a musical instrument does not happen overnight. It requires effort and, above all, constant and regular practice, which can be challenging if you have a heavy schedule. However, if you want to do something, you will find the time to do it. In this case, you will ensure that you better manage your time in order to find a way to integrate your practice sessions into your schedule.
While these are the main benefits of practicing an instrument, the list is extensive, and you can encounter many more advantages. Have you recently began practicing an instrument? Share your experience with us in the comments below.