In these times of hardship and an ever-increasing cost of living, having music lessons may be way down on your list of priorities. However, having music lessons has many great benefits in many areas of your life.
Mental Health
Research has shown that music releases dopamine which is linked to feelings of pleasure. Music can also reduce stress levels and relax you. Music can energise you and excite you enough to get up and dance, even if you're on your own. All these things are great for your mental health. Imagine how great you'll feel when you start to make progress on your instrument of choice!
Numeracy & Literacy
When a child starts having music lessons their reading and maths skills improve. Music is built from recurring mathematical patterns and sequences. By participating in music mathematical skills and thinking are being enhanced. As a child learns to associate sounds with symbols, and create links to word recognition they develop the decoding skills needed for reading.
Using the Brain
By playing music you are essentially giving your brain a complete workout. It can improve your memory and mental awareness. It won't happen instantly, but you'll find that your mental faculty improves as you continue to learn an instrument. There is also some evidence to show that learning an instrument can delay the onset of dementia. The more you use your brain the stronger it gets...just like a muscle.
It's never too late...or early
It's never too late to start playing an instrument, or indeed taking it up again. If you learnt when you were a child and regret stopping, start it up again. You'll gain a news lease of life if you do. Access to some form of music at any age can only be a good thing. There are some brilliant schools out there that do music activities for babies and toddlers. Whatever your age - music is there for you to enjoy.
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