How playing an instrument can make you a better student

By Vivian El-Salawy on March 26, 2017

Some people view musicians to be edgy, others view them to be nerdy – but there is one undeniable truth about most musicians: they have a lot of cognitive advantages. This is because playing an instrument helps you become a better student.

Image via Atlanta Symphony

There are a plethora of sources that confirm that picking up a musical instrument presents a variety of emotional, physical, and cognitive benefits for an individual’s wellbeing. Yes, it does take a great deal of time and effort to devote yourself to music, however through putting in this type of focus, there is a unique biological occurrence that improves your brain’s functionality.

Anita Collins demonstrated this in a Ted Talk in 2014. She unveiled a complex world of research on music’s effects on the brain. Dr. Collins claims that every time you pick up your instrument – fireworks go off in your brain. Of course, not actual fireworks – but FMRI and PET scans show that playing a musical instrument engages nearly every part of your brain, including visual, auditory, and motor cortices.

Image via YouTube

Another cool thing about this is that when you use your motor skills as a musician, you are actually using both your mathematical and linguistic hemispheres. Through simultaneously engaging both parts of the brain, your brain actually gets better at sending more intricate messages to more diverse areas of the brain.

What exactly does this mean? This means that musicians become better problem solvers, they pay greater attention to details, and they improve on their planning and strategizing skills. Another neat thing is that they also have enhanced memory functions, which include creating, storing, and retrieving memories. Imagine how much that would come in handy when you’re trying to study for your next exam or memorize a poem for your English class.

Image via Caleb W. Cliff

Kraus, a researcher at Northwestern, reports to USA Today that:

“We don’t see these kinds of biological changes in people who are just listening to music, who are not playing an instrument. I like to give the analogy that you’re not going to become physically fit just by watching sports.”

All of us already listen to music, usually on a daily basis. Take your passion a step further and pick up an instrument (or maybe a new one, if you know one already). You’d be surprised how much it can affect your academic, social, and professional performances. Albert Einstein used to play Mozart on the violin – in fact he also played piano. It helped him think about his theories. Hopefully, playing a musical instrument can do the same for you.

 

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