Music and the Brain

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF STUDYING MUSIC?

Confidence and self-esteem
In the beginning, learning an instrument can seem like an enormous challenge but after time and practice, students will feel a sense of accomplishment which can boost self-esteem.

Improves Neural Activity
Studies shows that learning to play an instrument requires more work from the brain than regular everyday activities.

Music Builds Intellectual Curiosity
By learning an instrument, students will naturally increase their intellectual curiosity about music and provide them with a way to view everyday life situation from a different perspective.

Fine Tunes Auditory Skills
Students who play an instrument will have a sharper sense of hearing and be better able to predict and follow patterns.

Develops Creative Thinking
Learning an instrument provides students with countless opportunities to be creative and experimental. Studying music allows students to see “micro” when they analyze each note and “macro” when they see the big picture of a song. This kind of thinking encourages strategic planning; thinking two steps ahead.

Problem Solving
When learning an instrument, there will be obstacles that require a student to think about solutions that make sense both musically and technically.

Increases Coordination
Learning an instrument can greatly improve hand-eye coordination.

Self-Teaching Discipline
Learning an instrument provides students with the opportunity to understand the importance of discipline and develop strong work ethic. This skill can then be applied to any area of study.

Improves Efforts in Other Academic Areas
A study by the University of Kansas found that elementary students with music education performed much higher than non-music students in subjects such as English and Math.

Cultural Empathy
Music can expose students to other cultures and be a tool to promote cultural diversity and further a global understanding of the world. Learning an instrument can encourage students to explore other cultures in order to have a deeper understand of the music that they are playing.