Music and Your Health
Studying, Performing, or Simply Listening to Music:
People of All Ages Will Likely Experience Health Benefits
Whenever Music is Involved
Many of us enjoy listening to music, but did you know that there are documented health benefits associated with most of the different kinds of interactions that people typically have with music? It’s true! Whether you are actively studying music (including learning to play an instrument), or performing on an instrument that you already know how to play, or simply enjoying listening to music, numerous studies have shown that incorporating music into many situations can yield various health benefits, for people of any age.
While you must be careful about volume levels—particularly when using headphones or earbuds—listening to music can sharpen your thinking and improve your memory. It can even make you feel better, through physiological changes that occur in your brain when listening to music, which help to regulate your mood (and reduce stress and anxiety in the process). For more information about this, see this article from Healthline.com that references (and includes links to) a good number of relevant studies.
Playing an instrument, and in particular the act of learning how to play an instrument, goes even further than merely listening. When children do so, they set themselves up for greater successes later in life (more details about this can be found in this well-researched and citation-rich article on PBS.org); when older folks do so, they can actually help to prolong their life, and/or improve the quality of their life (as per this article from Johns Hopkins, and this article from the National Library of Medicine, that was originally published by Federal Practioner).
Music doesn’t discriminate; it benefits everyone that interacts with it, but you can make the most of those benefits by actively participating in music. Don’t just listen to your favorite music; really focus on the details. Or better yet, learn to play those songs on a musical instrument! Your mind and body will thank you for it.
Ready to get started? Give me a call (or send me a text) at VIP-PLAY-GTR (847-752-9487), or contact me through the website to set up your FREE intro lesson today!
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