My parents offered me the chance to take guitar lessons when I was 7, and I agreed to do that, so now, decades later, I’m doing what many guitar players are doing: Playing self-learned keyboards! Truly, I am grateful to my parents for digging deep to buy me a guitar and provide me with lessons. I’m still playing lots of music–it is a wonderful way to spend time on planet Earth. Here’s one my most recent compositions, which I call “Striding.”
As much as a digital studio (Logic Pro) provides endless enjoyment, I also still love playing the guitar, absolutely love it. And I love my guitars. If the house ever caught fire, I’d work hard to save them. There is a lot to love about music, especially if you end up hitting a high enough level of competence that you are comfortable sharing your music with others in your community. I was lucky in that regard. In my late teens, I was co-band leader for a 7-piece jazz rock band that played throughout St. Louis. [1] I treasure those days.
But now I learn that there are many other benefits to playing music that are backed by science. “Music Lessons Were the Best Thing Your Parents Ever Did for You, According to Science” [2] lists 13 of them, along with links to the science. Check out this article for explanations and links to the science. This is an impressive list:
1. It improved your reading and verbal skills.
2. It improved your mathematical and spatial-temporal reasoning.
3. It helped your grades.
4. It raised your IQ.
5. It helped you learn languages more quickly.
6. It made you a better listener, which will help a lot when you’re older.
7. It will slow the effects of aging.
8. It strengthened your motor cortex.
9. It improved your working memory.
10. It improved your long-term memory for visual stimuli.
11. It made you better at managing anxiety.
12. It enhanced your self-confidence and self-esteem.
13. It made you more creative.
Therefore, get thee to a music studio, or at least take advantage of some amazing music education opportunities online.
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