The Benefits of Playing a Musical Instrument

Aaron Copland once said “So long as the human spirit thrives on this planet, music in some living form will accompany and sustain it and give it expressive meaning.” Whether we realize it or not, music has many impacts on our everyday life. More specifically, actually learning how to play an instrument can be very beneficial in many different ways.

Studies have found that playing an instrument can significantly reduce stress, anxiety, and depression while also lowering blood pressure and can help decrease risk of heart disease. Now I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty great. I mean you can improve your mental and physical health and all you have to do is play some tunes? Sweet.

High school band instructor Mrs. Woodworth said that playing an instrument can help with your coordination and eighth grader Aaron Brown chimed in by saying that playing an instrument can help with your reflexes as well. Mrs. Woodworth also said, “A lot more thinking is involved in playing an instrument than you would think. With remembering notes and playing different rhythms and dynamics.”

Playing an instrument can also help to teach you discipline. You must stay focused and practice often. You must learn to play through difficult pieces and be willing to put in the effort, not just the easy and fun stuff. Making music can also enhance your listening skills, as you must tune your instrument if the pitch becomes too sharp or flat and listen to how loud you are playing. You can also sharpen your concentration while playing an instrument because you must learn to hear yourself and the parts played by other people in order to play together in harmony. You can improve your responsibility as well. You now must do what is necessary to help keep your instrument function. Whether that be cleaning the instrument or keeping it cleaned and tuned. You must also remember the dates of musical performances and practice times.

Learning to play an instrument also increases the way your brain functions. Hand eye coordination is a key factor when playing an instrument. Your brain must convert notes written on the page into something that is comprehensible, while the musician must also place their hands in the correct positions on their instruments to play said notes. Your mathematical abilities may also be improved while playing an instrument. Math is actually quite important in music. You must play different rhythms, keep count of measures and learn to recognize different patterns and tempos. Playing an instrument can also help increase your mental capacity and strengthen your brain as a whole.

Playing an instrument is a unique experience that can bring joy to yourself and others around you. It can be very challenging but it will also help you in so many ways. As you can see making music is beneficial to a person in many different ways. Ancient Philosopher Plato said “Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.”