Whenever I walk onto a stage and sit at the piano, I feel intense apprehension as I take a deep breath and lift my hands. My mind bounces back between the steady bass of my left hand, the evenness of my right hand through the most harrowing passages of the piece and what “colors” I create in my playing.
Playing a musical instrument is difficult for everyone, especially when performing for an audience. From clarinet to violin, every instrument has its technical difficulties. But one question remains: how does all the concentration and practice required to master an instrument benefit the musician?
Playing an instrument is good for you. One benefit that comes with playing an instrument is an increase in cognitive ability. In a study by the Society for Neuroscience, researchers gathered 48 students with previous music education. Researchers studied “the volume of gray matter, the surface area and the folding index of the brain.” Students who began learning before age seven had an edge on every component and a thicker cortex. Due to this, they experienced advantages in hearing skills, language skills, executive functions and self-awareness.
“Playing music is similar to learning a different language, and it unlocks a different part of your brain that is not used in anything else. As it is something fun, that’s also a benefit,” sophomore Patrick Bogan said.
Playing an instrument can also sharpen your memory. Playing music requires thinking about its many components, and the effort to understand it changes the way someone’s brain works. In a study conducted by the University of Alberta psychologists, the parts of a musician’s brain used to process auditory, motor and visual information were found to be more connected than that of a non-musician.
“Specifically, the musicians’ ability to remember the movements of another person was strong and also separate from how they remembered their own movements,” Elena Nicoladis, who runs the Gesture and Language Development Lab at the university, said. “The way that musicians remembered information showed that visual and motor information were more integrated than for non-musicians.”
Playing an instrument not only affects mental ability, but also physical ability. When playing, different parts of your body and brain are always working together, which can improve coordination and multisensory skills. According to a study done by a Canadian university, those who played an instrument had significantly faster reaction times to sounds and vibrations. Finally, playing an instrument can improve posture. Good posture is essential to maximize the amplitude of your lungs and stamina when playing a wind instrument. Playing piano also requires proper posture because you must keep a straight back while sitting on the bench.
“I would say some of the positives of playing an instrument is that it improves memory, enhances coordination, and increases concentration,” sophomore Ayla Sadrpour said. “I also practice sometimes to relieve stress. I think playing an instrument can provide a sense of achievement when completing pieces and is honestly a great outlet to express myself.”
However, playing an instrument can also cause physical harm. Repetitive motion injuries due to a constant necessity to perform, especially among professional musicians, are an example of this. Improper posture, overplaying, unneeded force and non-ergonomic technique can cause chronic injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome, bursitis and tendinitis that have ended musical careers.
There are many solutions to this. Instrumentalists can first analyze their technique, such as reducing the tenseness of arms and hands and decreasing the force applied. In addition, before practicing, musicians should warm up and take breaks while practicing. Musicians should avoid pushing too far with the amount of practice and performance done and get medical attention if they notice any issues.
The emotional impact of music is one of its most interesting benefits. According to Pfizer, playing music increases blood flow to parts of your brain that regulate emotion. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter that causes pleasure, is produced when listening to familiar or touching music.
“As someone who enjoys listening to classical music, listening and playing are two completely different experiences and playing something that you enjoy listening to is definitely a more surreal experience than simply listening to it,” Bogan said.
Pfizer goes on to say that music can also induce pain relief. While listening to or playing music, you will focus on the tune of the music rather than the pain experienced. Other than offering a distraction, the dopamine produced by hearing music can soothe pain.
Some may say that the physical and mental stress of playing an instrument can cause injury in musicians. However, the benefits for cognitive capability and emotional health that playing an instrument causes and the soothing effects of listening to music outweigh the cons.
“Playing an instrument is very fun and creative. I love listening to music, so creating music is fascinating to me,” sophomore Anastasiia Maksimova said. “Playing instruments also helped me be more focused in general, because when you read sheet music you need 100% of your attention and quick. Learning music is generally a pleasant experience for me every time I pick up an instrument.”
It is never too late to take up an instrument and enjoy the benefits playing gives. With the ability to understand music, life can be a much more relaxing and thoughtful experience. The fine-tuning of the functions of the brain is just a bonus. The best feeling in the world is when you bow and step off the stage, carrying the satisfaction of sharing the beauty of music with those around you.
