3 Amazing Benefits Of Learning A Musical Instrument!
by Tim Benson,
Director of the Music Academy of Acadiana
We’ve all heard friends and family (or maybe even ourselves say) “I would love to be able to sing – I just don’t think I have the voice” or “playing guitar has always been a dream of mine, but I can’t seem to find the time to buy one and practice!” Well here’s some good news: It’s never too late to learn how to play an instrument and there are many lifelong benefits that you could gain in the process!
My name is Tim Benson and I’m the director of the Music Academy of Acadiana here in Lafayette, LA; which offers music lessons for piano, guitar, vocals, drums and much more. I’ve been teaching professionally for over 15 years and have seen firsthand many of our students grow through their musical successes; not only as musicians, but as people too!
Traditionally, music lessons are meant to be a fun skill to learn, but not only can playing music be entertaining, it can be beneficial to personal growth. Here are some amazing facts about the value of learning how to play a musical instrument.
Ability to Problem Solve Effectively.
Music learning requires discipline to overcome things that might be hard at first. It requires a level of problem solving that is rapidly becoming a valuable skill set for people in their personal lives and work careers. Not only are music students learning where the notes are on their instrument, they’re also learning about themselves – how can they play a certain musical passage or sequence better the next time? How can they do small adjustments to make the song easier for their hands? These are fundamental thinking exercises that reinforce how to observe and solve problems as they come up. Studies have shown that music students tend to problem solve at a much faster rate than those without any musical background.
Faster response in areas of the brain related to language and reasoning.
There have been many studies which conclude that musical training reinforces the left side of the brain, which includes areas that help us with our everyday speech and communication. I recently read an article where a top fortune 500 company preferred to hire employees with at least a few years of musical training because they noticed that they were able to communicate their ideas better to prospective clients. This is a valuable skill set that can give someone an important edge in the increasingly competitive workforce.
Better ability to “perform” in front of an audience.
This one may seem obvious, but the great thing about music performances is that they can carry over to other situations in which a person may have to give a presentation or speech in front of a large crowd. It’s no secret that one of the biggest fears most people have is to speak in public. Having some musical training helps give that person experience with being the “center of attention” and effectively handling some of the stress and anxiousness that accompanies it. We have had many students at our academy that started performing at a young age and we often get comments about how much they have “opened up” since they started taking lessons. Having to play in recitals gives students valuable experience and confidence in public performance.
If you would like to read more about the benefits of music lessons please visit these two websites.
childrensmusicworkshop.com/advocacy/12benefits.html
nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_142229.html
In addition to all of this, let’s not forget that playing a musical instrument can be really fun! Sometimes it’s great to just crank up the old guitar and rock out!
Interested in learning how to play (or improve) on a musical instrument? Give the Music Academy of Acadiana a call at 337-456-8929 and we can get you started on your musical journey today!
About the MUSIC ACADEMY OF ACADIANA:
We teach Guitar, Piano, Drums, Voice, Violin and Bass Lessons all in ONE Location!
Voted TOP FINALIST IN THE NATION IN 2013 & 2014 FOR PRIVATE MUSIC LESSONS
100 William O Stutes, Suite C. Lafayette, LA 70506
(Near Sam’s on Ambassador Caffery)
Website: MusicAcademyAcadiana.com
Phone: 337-456-8929
Ages 5 and up for most instruments!
