Studies Confirm Lifelong Benefits of Music Making
Two newly released studies claim that active music produces benefits that last for a lifetime. According to researchers at the University of Kansas, playing a musical instrument at a young age can boost cognitive skills as a person grows older. The team discovered that older adults from a group of participants who had piano, flute, clarinet or other lessons as youngsters did better on intelligence tests than those without any musical skills. The study, published by the American Psychological Association, took on 70 healthy adults aged 60 to 83, who were then divided into groups based on their levels of musical experience. The musicians performed better on several cognitive tests and those who had never studied an instrument or learned how to read music.
“Musical activity throughout life may serve as a challenging cognitive exercise, making your brain filter and capable of accommodating the challenges of aging,” said Dr. Brenda Hanna-Pladdy. Lead researcher at the University of Kansas Medical Center. “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.”
In Canada, a survey conducted by XM Satellite Radio suggests that people who learned to play musical instruments as children preformed better in school and are more likely to be living happy and successful lives. The marketing survey showed that seven out of ten Canadians who learned an instrument when they were kids reported that it had a positive effect on their lives. Half of those who learned to play music said it helped them do better in school, 46% said it gave them increased mental focus, 45% reported heightened creativity, 32% said it boosted their confidence, and 32% said it gave them the ability to self-teach. The benefits of learning to play music were so profound, in fact that 66% of those surveyed said learning to play an instrument is just as important as learning a second language.
Of the 1,549 Canadians polled 66% had learned a musical instrument, with Quebecers and Albertans coming out on the top with 73% and 71%, respectively. The most popular instruments were piano (31%), flute (18%), and guitar (15%).