What Can Music Do for You?

So you really like music? You listen to it all the time, tap your foot, and hum in the shower? Now, you are thinking it might be fun to play a musical instrument?

Being able to play and perform music is one of the most satisfying skills a person can have. Here are several reasons:

1) Music provides an outlet for creativity, expression and emotions

2) It also exercises areas of the brain that have been shown to impair memory. To perform music well, one has to have absolute concentration.

3) Studies show that music can improve hand and eye coordination, strengthen the ability to focus, and build discipline.

4) Another positive aspect is the therapeutic value. While you are practicing-to do so effectively-you cannot be thinking of ANYTHING else but what you are doing with your music. That means if you have had a bad day, you can escape-you will be FORCED to escape--because playing music is a complete diversion.

5) Providing a fresh outlook . . . Many members of the medical and scientific community use music to help refresh their minds, so they can come back to their work at hand with a new perspective.

One of my adult students just recently told me that there were 7 children in his family, and his parents required each child to learn piano and a band instrument because they felt it was important in strengthening study habits and to have an added appreciation for the arts.

In many ways, music is similar to learning a foreign language or learning to read a map. Once you have learned what the symbols mean you can navigate though almost any composition.

Piano and voice are probably the most immediately rewarding instruments, with guitar and a band instrument such as flute being next in line. Know that whatever you choose, the experience will NOT be a waste. You will come away from your studies with a greater appreciation for the arts and a livelier memory.