written by Charlie Perlstein
If you are reading this article, you can—and should—learn an instrument.
I know what you’re thinking: “Charlie, I don’t want to learn an instrument!”
That may be true. However, it also may be uninformed: I’ll tell you why.
Having taken music lessons for about 12 years, I have learned through personal experience the power of learning music. Firstly, through the experience of practicing regularly over a large span of time, I have begun to realize the efficacy of repetitive, methodical, meaningful repetition.
“Charlie! I learn the same thing through daily homework!” you could argue. I would counter by letting you know that music is more fun than homework. I promise.
Another—potentially stronger—point in favor of music is the development of interpersonal skills. Everyone who has experienced a public school education knows too well that group projects can be… rough. Everyone has at least one story of the “group project gone wrong”, where a single person is forced to do the work of four or five. Music classes are similar to giant group projects, except for the fact that “group projects gone wrong” are unacceptable.
When you’re in a band or orchestra, you learn quickly that the successes or failures of the group depend on everyone. If a single person plays an incorrect note, the entire group sounds wrong. That shared understanding drives the entire group to push towards perfection, and refuses to leave anyone behind.
Is perfection attainable? Heck no. Do you still want to push to achieve it? Absolutely.
Finally (although I could continue ad nauseam), learning an instrument makes you a better, smarter, happier person.
“Impossible!” you may want to shout. “Charlie, how could you possibly claim such an outrageous thing!?”
Thankfully, you don’t have to take my word for it. You could read this paper, published in the Economics of Education Review, which concludes that “learning a musical instrument is associated with better cognitive skills and school grades as well as higher conscientiousness, openness, and ambition” (Hille 25).
A fan of better school grades, but not ambition? What about “better achievement in mathematics” (Holmes 236), as reported in this doctoral thesis at the University College London?
Still not convinced? Music can also “positively influence cognitive functioning and decreases stress” (Shipman 10), which I can guarantee that you would enjoy.
So: we have established that playing music: teaches positive lifelong habits, can positively affect your academics, and is linked to characteristic improvement. In order to realize those facts firsthand, Desert Mountain offers multiple band and orchestra courses, such as Jazz Band, Percussion Ensemble, and Symphonic Orchestra. With classes aimed towards both proficient musicians and less-experienced players, there is room for everyone willing to practice. I have one final question:
When do you want to start?
Comment below: What is your favorite instrument to play or just to listen to?
Works Cited
Hille, Adrian, and Jürgen Schupp. "How learning a musical instrument affects the development of
skills." Economics of Education Review, vol. 44, 2015, pp. 56-82,
www.iza.org/publications/dp/7655/how-learning-a-musical-instrument-affects-the-
development-of-skills. Accessed 30 Jan. 2021.
Holmes, Sylwia. The impact of participation in music on learning mathematics. 2016. U College
London, PhD dissertation. discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1541236.
Shipman, Debra. "A Prescription for Music Lessons." Federal Practitioner, vol. 33, no. 2, Feb. 2016,
pp. 9-12, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6368928/#. Accessed 30 Jan. 2021.
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