Still Not Sure? Read This.
While there are many, many reasons I believe the experience of making music creates better people, here is one research study that finds a correlation between studying a musical instrument (beginning around age 10) and the brain adapting easily to the aging process.
“Musical activity throughout life may serve as a challenging cognitive exercise, making your brain fitter and more capable of accommodating the challenges of aging,” said lead researcher Brenda Hanna-Pladdy, PhD. “Since studying an instrument requires years of practice and learning, it may create alternate connections in the brain that could compensate for cognitive declines as we get older.”
The high-level musicians had statistically significant higher scores than the non-musicians on cognitive tests relating to visuospatial memory, naming objects and cognitive flexibility, or the brain’s ability to adapt to new information.
Read the entire article here. (a must-read!)
Want More? Here is a small collection of similar scientific studies, articles, and videos about why music making is an integral part of becoming a contributing member of our society: