Music has the power to make people move, forge friendships and change our mood — but what are the benefits of music when it comes to our health? More and more research is coming out to prove that listening to music can have a beneficial effect on us, on more levels than one.
Auditory Awareness
Provided that it’s at a reasonable volume, playing and listening to music can sharpen our auditory awareness and train our brain to distinguish different pitches, tones and timbres. This can help make your lived environment more interesting, as well as help you to draw creatively from your surroundings, wherever you might be. Training your ears can also enliven your experience of listening to music, increasing your general appreciation for the art-form.
Emotional Wellness
Negative emotions are a part of life — and in this world, they are unavoidable. Allowing yourself to be upset or angry and to channel those emotions in a healthy way can be a key factor when it comes to managing your mental and emotional health.
Music offers an arena that makes it acceptable for people to explore powerful emotions and make some kind of sense of them. Through songwriting, performing or even simply hearing a song and being able to empathize with the lyrics, a person can learn to assimilate the more difficult parts of their emotional world.
Intellectual Development
While music is a deeply emotional craft, it is also remarkably technical. As anybody who has undertaken music lessons can tell you, music theory and technique teaches you practical problem solving skills and a patience that can be applied to the rest of your life.
Studies have also shown that playing an instrument can actually improve your hand-eye coordination and working memory. On top of all of that, music theory can open the door to a whole world of artistic endeavour that you would otherwise miss out on. For example, it gives you the tools to understand why a Beethoven symphony is a work of genius.
Physical Health
While playing music has remarkable positive effects on the brain, you often don’t hear as much about the benefits of listening to music for your physical health. If you go to a gym these days, about 80% of the people in there are liable to be wearing headphones — there is a reason for this that goes beyond mere boredom.
Studies have shown that people who listen to exciting or fast music while exercising are able to push themselves further and for longer. On the other end of the spectrum, listening to calming or pleasant music in any context can lower stress levels — meaning there’s less likelihood of stress-related illnesses and muscle strains.
Spiritual Wellness
Beyond the physical, for many people music has a metaphysical power. Music plays a valuable role in every major religious culture in the world. Gospel music, Christian contemporary and devotional music is used to enhance people’s faith, as well as their sense of community and shared purpose. In many tribal cultures, drumming and singing play key roles around birth, death and the transition into adulthood. Learning an instrument can, at the very least, help a person to express themselves better in religious matters and beyond.
Want to Learn an Instrument?
If you’re considering learning an instrument for the first time — or if you’ve been meaning to start lessons again — there’s no reason to hesitate. Call Allegro Music School now, at 613-837 6040.
Allegro Music School has been open for over 35 years and counting, providing high quality lessons to the Orleans and Ottawa area. We offer classes for a vast range of instruments and at reasonable prices. For more information, connect with us today!
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