Music Lessons Promote Memory Growth
You pop your favorite album in, adjusting the volume to the “I’m going to rock out and hope this doesn’t do permanent damage” level. The speakers hiss for a moment before that old familiar tune begins. It’s the song that got you through that breakup. It’s the song you first danced to. It’s the song that so perfectly describes you. A rush of memories flood your mind, matching every beat and lyric.
Music and memory go hand and hand. Everyone has a song that sparks a specific memory, good or bad. Unsurprisingly, the connection between music and memory goes a lot deeper than reminiscing. While listening to music builds lasting memories, playing music will build memory that lasts.
That’s right. Want to develop, or maintain impeccable memory? Pick up an instrument or grab a microphone, and sign up for some music lessons. You won’t regret it.
The positive impact learning to play music has on memory starts as early as elementary school. One study examined a group of kids ranging from age four to six. Half of the group participated in music lessons with their parents for 30 weeks. These children scored significantly higher on memory tests than those who did not participate in music lessons. An impressive result for a relatively short period of time. This data suggests that signing your child up for music lessons will improve their memory over time.
Children are not the only ones to benefit from picking up an instrument. Adults who learn an instrument are more likely to exhibit plasticity in the brain. For the layman, plasticity means the brain is better able to learn and remember. A study looked at the brains of adults learning an instrument versus the brains of adults who are not. They found that the cyclic nature of the motor functions required to play music and the immediate sensory feedback provided the brain constant growth, leading to improved memory. Quality music lessons help facilitate this growth efficiently.
It should come as no surprise that learning to play music improves the memory of those amongst the elderly population. Seeing a pattern yet? All the benefits mentioned earlier also apply to seniors as well. Musical abilities help maintain memory as the brain ages, helping to lessen the loss typical of an aging brain.
Unfortunately, the aging brain is susceptible to the memory afflicting Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer’s is a slow-working degenerative disorder in which the mind, including memory, breaks down. Music can’t cure Alzheimer’s, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t help. A case study involving a violinist with Alzheimer’s demonstrates the importance of playing music. The violinist experienced great loss to his cognitive functions, however, he was able to learn a new song. This amazing feat shows that the power of music can defy such a debilitating disease by creating new memories. In other words, the value of music lessons persists well into old age.
The beauty of all this is the benefits never stop. Picking up an instrument and sticking with it opens your brain to world of constant challenge. Pushing past this challenge promotes growth, and in turn, improved memory. It is astounding that the violinist with Alzheimer’s could learn a new song. He spent a chunk of his life dedicated to his craft, a dedication that led to stronger memory.
Astute readers may have picked up on the not so subtle message of this paper: it’s never too late to learn to play an instrument and reap its benefits. You could be a child banging on a keyboard after school, a senior strumming a guitar in their golden years, or anyone in between; learning to play music sharpens your memory and promote positives cognitive development, and great music lessons are the first steps of this lifelong journey.
Music and memory go hand and hand. Everyone has a song that sparks a specific memory, good or bad. Unsurprisingly, the connection between music and memory goes a lot deeper than reminiscing. While listening to music builds lasting memories, playing music will build memory that lasts.
That’s right. Want to develop, or maintain impeccable memory? Pick up an instrument or grab a microphone, and sign up for some music lessons. You won’t regret it.
The positive impact learning to play music has on memory starts as early as elementary school. One study examined a group of kids ranging from age four to six. Half of the group participated in music lessons with their parents for 30 weeks. These children scored significantly higher on memory tests than those who did not participate in music lessons. An impressive result for a relatively short period of time. This data suggests that signing your child up for music lessons will improve their memory over time.
Children are not the only ones to benefit from picking up an instrument. Adults who learn an instrument are more likely to exhibit plasticity in the brain. For the layman, plasticity means the brain is better able to learn and remember. A study looked at the brains of adults learning an instrument versus the brains of adults who are not. They found that the cyclic nature of the motor functions required to play music and the immediate sensory feedback provided the brain constant growth, leading to improved memory. Quality music lessons help facilitate this growth efficiently.
It should come as no surprise that learning to play music improves the memory of those amongst the elderly population. Seeing a pattern yet? All the benefits mentioned earlier also apply to seniors as well. Musical abilities help maintain memory as the brain ages, helping to lessen the loss typical of an aging brain.
Unfortunately, the aging brain is susceptible to the memory afflicting Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer’s is a slow-working degenerative disorder in which the mind, including memory, breaks down. Music can’t cure Alzheimer’s, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t help. A case study involving a violinist with Alzheimer’s demonstrates the importance of playing music. The violinist experienced great loss to his cognitive functions, however, he was able to learn a new song. This amazing feat shows that the power of music can defy such a debilitating disease by creating new memories. In other words, the value of music lessons persists well into old age.
The beauty of all this is the benefits never stop. Picking up an instrument and sticking with it opens your brain to world of constant challenge. Pushing past this challenge promotes growth, and in turn, improved memory. It is astounding that the violinist with Alzheimer’s could learn a new song. He spent a chunk of his life dedicated to his craft, a dedication that led to stronger memory.
Astute readers may have picked up on the not so subtle message of this paper: it’s never too late to learn to play an instrument and reap its benefits. You could be a child banging on a keyboard after school, a senior strumming a guitar in their golden years, or anyone in between; learning to play music sharpens your memory and promote positives cognitive development, and great music lessons are the first steps of this lifelong journey.