Whether you are a teenager or in your 30s, you are never too old to learn something new. Instruments and music are great skills to have because it comes with a lot of benefits. Like many things, it is better to start young. However, learning music still has a ton of advantages for adults of any age.
Music in itself is great for your mental health, but it also has physical benefits as well. If you want to find out what music can do to your life, check out what singing and playing instruments can do for your brain.
Improve Speech
Singing is a great way to help you with speech and vocal communications. In fact, studies show that singing can reduce speech abnormalities by resolving motor difficulties associated with it. It directly stimulates the muscles responsible for respiration, resonance, articulation, and phonation.
If you are an adult who has been plagued with poor speech, then signing up for voice lessons might be what you need. Classes have instructors who will teach you proper breathing techniques and pronunciation. Controlling your modulation and following pitches can improve the muscles for speech.
Those regularly with instructions are also shown to have increased lung capacity. This is largely thanks to all the long and high notes that they usually have to sustain. Your ability to hold your breath also has a direct connection to your speaking abilities. In children, it actually helps them with their language skills.
Build Confidence
The most common benefit you will experience is a boost in your confidence and self-esteem. ; Being able to showcase your skills after weeks or months of hard work is amazing! You will feel great about having a skill that most people find impressive.
Aside from that, you can also have more confidence in performing in front of others. If you had formal training with singing or instruments, then you have had to perform in front of someone at some point. After doing it so often, larger groups and crowds won’t seem as intimidating anymore.
Another thing that music classes do is to improve your social skills. In many cases, you will have to interact with other people, whether it is to ask for help or get their opinion. The more you play, the more you can develop your social skills, which can help those who are generally timid and shy.
Strengthen the Brain
It’s a well-known fact that music has many benefits in developing kids’ cognitive ability, but that still rings true for adults. It helps develop your brain in so many ways, such as improving your reaction time and your ability to absorb new information. Studies have shown that those who have musical training are actually better at making use of multisensory information. This means they are better at processing information from their various senses.
Those who have been learning music are shown to have an increase in gray matter. This creates more neural pathways, which helps connect the brain to other nerves. It will be extremely beneficial for adults as they age because it can reduce mental disorders. Gray matter also helps your concentration.
Aside from that, music also aids in your ability to distinguish and process sounds. Unlike people who have little to no musical experience, you will become more critical of sounds and tunes because of your musical training. As you age, this may keep your hearing from deteriorating.
Get Better Memory
A study by Northwestern University in Chicago found that older adults actually benefit the most from musical learning. Their study found that, among adults aged between 60 to 83, those studying for at least ten years have better nonverbal and visuospatial memory. Even those that have had less than nine years of training showed better results than those who have no training at all. Interestingly, they did not lose the benefits even when they have not played for a long time.
Learning music actually opens the part of your brain responsible for memory. Because of all the skills needed to learn music, your brain is continuously engaged every time you practice or even listen to music. Learning music involves learning notes, how to strum notes or play keys, and remembering musical sheets.
It may seem intimidating to learn when you’re older, but that shouldn’t stop you from doing something you love. You may find that it may be a bit harder to learn. That doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to benefit from music, though. In fact, the challenges of learning may be what you need to improve your overall health.
