For many adults, the idea of learning how to play a musical instrument is something that they’re simply too old to take on now. Because of the years it can take to learn and master a musical instrument, many people think that if this isn’t something you started as a child, there’s little chance in you becoming successful at it later on in life.
But despite these negative thoughts, many people choose to begin learning a musical instrument later on in life—and to great personal gain as well. To help you see why this could be a great life decision for you, despite how old you presently are, here are three benefits to learning how to play a musical instrument as an adult.
It’s A Stress Reliever
While it might seem stressful to you right now as you think about what it will take for you to learn how to play a musical instrument as an adult, Rebecca Adams, a contributor to the Huffington Post, shares that playing an instrument, whether you’re a beginner or an old pro, can be a big stress reliever in your life.
As you play, or even attempt to play, a musical instrument, dopamine is released in your brain. This dopamine can help you to feel pleasure and reward for what you’re doing, which can help you to feel less stress in your life. Not only this but focusing on playing your musical instrument won’t allow room for many other thoughts in your brain, which means a lot of your stress and worry will be put on the back-burned while you’re learning and playing.
To Improve Your Working Memory
As your brain and body get older, certain things seem to slow down or not function as well as they once did. For many people, their memory falls under this category. However, by learning your play a musical instrument as an adult, you can start to improve your working memory.
According to Sharon Bryant, a contributor to the NAMM Foundation, musicians have been found to have a better working memory than those who don’t know how to play a musical instrument. So although you might not think you have room in your brain to learn anything new at this point in your life, doing so could actually help you better remember everything else you’re trying to keep straight in your head.
Boost Your Brain’s Executive Function
By challenging your brain to learn how to play a musical instrument, John Rampton, a contributor to Inc.com, shares that you can boost a lot of your brain’s executive functions well into your adult years. What this means is that learning to play an instrument can help with things like processing information, controlling your behavior, solving problems, and making decisions.
If you’ve wondered how learning to play an instrument could be beneficial to you, consider using the information presented above to help you see just what could be possible.
