If you’re interested in health and music, here’s a twofer. There’s a pretty good article by Mike Duffy on the Fender website that talks about some of the real benefits of playing music. Fender consulted Daniel Levitin, author of “This is your brain on music” who stated that, “Playing an instrument can… improve a person’s overall well-being. Playing even five minutes a day can lead to a range of physical, mental and emotional benefits.”
According to Levitin, after 60, playing an instrument can help you retrain and remap neural circuits that are inclined to atrophy, which helps you stay sharp and learning an instrument as a kid can also help develop your brain.
Mental relaxation can be another positive result of playing an instrument. “Playing an instrument has a meditative aspect that can release calming hormones in the brain, reduce the stress hormone Cortisol, increase productivity and help to create social bonding (to combat loneliness in the digital age)” adds Levitin. “Playing music with other people produces the chemical oxytocin, a binding chemical that promotes trust and social bonding and makes you feel better.”
If you’ve ever wondered why time passes so quickly when the band’s in the groove, now you know- it’s brain chemistry.
Check out the whole article here: https://www.fender.com/articles/play/new-research-shows-mental-physical-and-emotional-benefits-of-playing-music