Why you Should Pick up a New Instrument no Matter Your Age

Learning new things. It’s one of the best ways to enrich our lives and promote better brain health at all ages. All new learning is great, but studies have shown that practicing things like language learning and learning to play a new instrument are specifically beneficial.  Picking up a new instrument has been shown to cause structural changes within the brain, thus improving memory, mood, and cognitive function. Let’s break it down:

Cognition

Learning new skills isn’t always easy. But that level of challenge is where the brain benefits lie. Think about it: playing an instrument, especially in the learning stages, involves a vast array of compound tasks for the brain to undertake. You might be reading music, using your hands in various patterns and placements, listening to your output, and adjusting accordingly.

These complex processing activities stimulate several parts of the brain at once, which, over time, enhances overall cognitive ability. And this ability works just like learning an instrument: you’ve got to work on it regularly and challenge yourself!

All the while you’re doing so, your neuroplastic brain is busy forming new neural connections and rewiring old ones, constantly upgrading your capacity for learning. And interestingly, the collection of nerve fibers that connects the two sides of the brain, known as the corpus callosum is larger in musicians in one study.

Memory

Similarly, a great level of focused attention and a good amount of memory recall is required in order to master a new instrument. Utilizing these skills in this way is like a workout for your brain, exercising its short- and long-term memory function, which can have a myriad of knock-on benefits across your life.

Well-being

We’ve discussed the healing power of music on the brain, where we explained how it triggers the release of feel-good neurochemicals including dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, whilst simultaneously reducing cortisol levels.

Likewise, the process of making your own music and learning to play has also been shown to have a powerfully positive emotional impact. It activates the limbic system, which is the part of our brains that regulates our emotions, allowing for freedom of creative expression and acting as an outlet for negative or difficult feelings.

In fact, research has revealed an easing in the symptoms of various mental health issues including generalized stress, anxiety, and even depression.

Neurological health over time

The result of all this is that, by regularly practicing an instrument and continually strengthening those neural connections, you’re at a lower risk of developing age-related neurological diseases, including dementia and Alzheimer’s.

What’s more, research has confirmed that it’s never too late to learn something new: older adults can reap all of the amazing rewards too!