The Benefits of Playing Musical Instruments

Scientific research has proven playing a musical instrument is beneficial to individuals of all ages due to the motor systems inside the brain being trained, which control learning, reading, visual, and memory systems.  

Practicing the musical instrument can lead to numerous structural changes in the brain after only 15 months of training. One area where these changes can occur is in the hippocampus, an area of the brain involved in learning and memory. A process in the hippocampus that is critical for learning is neurogenesis which is a formation of new neurons. Thus, musical performance may enhance neurogenesis which is linked to improve learning and memory activity. 

Playing a musical instrument involves multiple components of both the central and peripheral nervous systems. These affects both the brain and spinal cords and the nerves in and around them. Motor systems in the brain control the movements needed to produce sound when playing musical instruments, this is processed by the auditory system, which can adjust signaling by the motor control centers. In addition, sensory information from the fingers, arms, and hands are sent to the brain for processing. Reading music can also affect multiple systems of the body, by sending visual information to the brain for processing and interpreting commands for the motor centers.  

There is also evidence that proves that music practice increases the number of synapses in the human brain. Synapses are the chemical connections between neurons in the brain that form circuits, which are made during the course of learning. One way to obtain synapses activity in the brain is by measuring paired associative stimulation, which involves stimulating neurons. Studies have shown that musicians have higher synapses activity than non-musicians. Therefore, the data suggests that musicians have increased numbers of synapses in the part of their brains that control motor functions.  

Other benefits include being able to process multiple things at once. This is because music requires the ability to process sound, sight, and touch at the same time, leading to superior multisensory skills. Another benefit is an increased blood flow in the brain when playing a musical instrument. Playing a musical instrument is beneficial for individuals who are recovering form brain injury allowing the motor control in everyday activities to increase significantly.