As a private music tutor, I love this time of year. January is the month when I start to get an influx of new student enquiries, from kids who have got a guitar for Christmas, to adults who want to start a hobby in the new year. Did you ever have music lessons as a kid? I hear mixed stories of people who tried piano lessons for a few years as a kid and hated it, and others who have loved it so much that now studying it at uni. But learning (or re-learning) a musical instrument, even as an adult, is extremely rewarding and beneficial.
1. It’s therapeutic
As far as vices go, playing an instrument is very therapeutic. All your nervous energy is transmogrified into pure musical energy. The familiar strumming of your favourite guitar, your homely tinkling piano, or your buzzing bassoon can instantly sooth. It’s more than a stress reliever, because there is so much emotional expression that you can communicate through your instrument. I know that when my girlfriend is under lots of stress, she just loves beating her drumkit to a pulp to unleash all the tension of life stress in a physical and musical way. An uninterrupted session noodling on the piano is an instant mood booster for me too.
2. It improves your memory and cognitive function
Studies have shown that musicians are 64% less likely to get dementia or develop other cognitive impairments compared to non-musicians.[1] Learning a new instrument requires lots of mental flexibility as people train their focus on multitasking, processing auditory information, overcoming barriers of muscle memory, and interpreting dots on a page to use their mind and body to produce sounds through their instrument. It is both challenging and rewarding. For those who want good cognitive function in their old age, it’s almost too risky not to learn an instrument.
3. It increases your creativity
Lots of adults believe the lie that they are not creative people. Humans are born with creative brains. Creativity is not a secret knack or talent that some people have, and some people don’t. It’s actually a way of operating that must be nurtured, and according to comedian and actor John Cleese, you need to allow yourself the time and space for creativity in your day, and you will discover just how creative you can be.[2] So don’t stifle your creativity with the excuse “I’m not creative” – that’s exactly how you become less creative. People who don’t believe they are creative just need to create their own time and environment to tap into their artistic side.
Learning an instrument is an excellent platform to accelerate one’s creativity. As a composer, I love spending hours of my day darting back and forth between the piano, my guitar, and my computer. It’s like there is a whole world of uncreated sounds waiting to hatch. But creativity on a musical instrument also comes through improvisation, and especially through collaborating with other musos.
4. It teaches perseverance and discipline
Learning an instrument requires practise and dedication. Whether it’s learning to sightread or honing down on your technique, it takes professional musicians thousands of hours of hard work to master their craft. You certainly don’t have to be a professional to begin learning though. But by making the decision to start learning, you are making a commitment to improving your perseverance through patience and hard work. These skills are essential for success in any area of life. You will reap the reward of your hard work eventually!
If you are considering learning to play a new instrument, find out what is right for you. I offer a variety of guitar and bass lessons for beginners and intermediate players wanting to take their music to the next level. If you are in Canberra, send me a message, or fill out this form to start learning now!
[1] https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/alz.049684#:~:text=A%20twin%20study%20reported%20that,within%20the%20study%20follow%20up.
Caspian Scott 