Why You Should Learn an Instrument, Even If You’re Not Trying to Become a Professional Musician

Learning an instrument is a challenging endeavor. For beginners, even with professional music instruction, making progress can feel difficult or even impossible at times. It takes a great deal of effort, time and money, so it’s fair to ask whether it’s worth it if you don’t have dreams of becoming a professional musician. The bottom line is, pursuing proficiency with a musical instrument is endlessly rewarding and beneficial, whether it becomes a major part of your life or a hobby. 

As learners and explorers of music, the benefits we experience learning an instrument apply to our lives no matter what we choose to do with music once we know how to play. For countless people, music is a fun, therapeutic, and an essential part of life. What distinguishes professionals from other musicians is the ability to earn money by creating or performing music. But, as we all know, money isn’t everything. Music brings creativity, hope, and purpose to musicians whether they earn money doing what they love or not. 

The benefits of learning an instrument apply to every musician

It’s worth learning how to play an instrument no matter what your future plans are because it’s an activity that delivers positive, lifelong impacts. Children receive huge benefits from music education, and students of every age and background are positively impacted when they learn how to play an instrument. Here are a couple of important reasons how:

• Learning an instrument provides a healthy creative outlet. In fact, many musicians consider performing, writing music, or learning songs a form of therapy. You don’t need to be a famous, wealthy songwriter or performer to get joy and purpose out of playing a musical instrument. 
• Music fosters important social connections for children as well as adults. We often think social skills and engagement are only important for children. But in recent years, many adults in the United States are thought to be part of a troubling epidemic of loneliness. Whether music is a fun hobby or it’s something you plan on seriously pursuing, it has the ability to bring meaningful social interactions into your life through activities like music lessons, rehearsals, and performances. 
• Being musical delivers lifelong benefits for brain health. From decreasing anxiety and depression to increasing memory and mental acuity, learning a musical instrument is proven to be a profoundly healthy activity for the brain. Young children who learn an instrument are shown to receive benefits that last a lifetime, for adults, learning to play an instrument can improve mental health and cognitive functioning. Proving that you’re never too old to learn music, learning an instrument is a recommended activity if you’re an adult searching for ways to improve and retain your memory. 
• Music is fun. It’s as simple as that. No matter our age, career, marital status, and goals, we need fun in our lives. Learning an instrument is a challenging and fun pursuit whether we learn enough to play a couple of tunes by a campfire or gain the skills and confidence to get up on stage and perform in front of lots of people. 

MUSIC INSTRUMENTS AT MUSIC & ARTS

From name brand guitars and drum sets to a vast offering of band and orchestral instruments, Music & Arts is proud to connect local communities across American with the magic of music. If you’re not sure which instrument is right for you, our friendly sales team will be happy to match you with a terrific instrument that fits your needs and budget. Visit your local Music & Arts location today!