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. 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” 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.
