Do Musicians Lead Healthier, Happier Lives?

We've seen a lot in the news lately about how playing an instrument and studying music leads to a healthier, happier life. We just couldn’t be more excited about these findings and wanted to share a few of our favorites. For more information on each of these, please refer to the source link.

Playing and studying music …

Leads to better hearing, particularly with age.

Hearing loss can lead to social isolation and depression. Researchers in one study found that musicians – who began playing an instrument at age 9 or earlier and consistently played an instrument throughout their lives – had better hearing than non-musicians in all aspects but visual working memory, where both groups showed nearly identical ability. What this shows: the experience of extracting meaningful sounds from a complex soundscape, and of remembering sound sequences, enhances the development of auditory skills. Source: Futurity.com

Helps with aging.

According to researchers at Emory University, older musicians perform better on cognitive tests than individuals who did not play an instrument. “Musical activity throughout life may serve as a challenging cognitive exercise, making your brain fitter and more capable of accommodating the challenges of aging,” said one researcher. The high level musicians who studied the longest performed the best on the cognitive tests. Source: Futurity.com

Helps you manage stress.

“Music may be one of the best de-stressors, either by playing or even listening to music,” said Dr. Mike Miller, a research cardiologist who studies the effects of happiness. In Miller’s research, when participants in the studies listened to music, “the inner lining of the blood vessel relaxed, opened up and produced chemicals that are protective to the heart.” Listening to music that they liked promoted happiness and relieved stress. Source: CNN

Makes you smarter.

A recent study featured in Fox News showed that music training affects the brainstem, which is “the ancient part of the brain responsible for controlling automatic, critical body functions such as breathing and heartbeat.”  Read More: Fox News. Other studies have shown that musicians have structurally and functionally different brains compared with non-musicians, in particular the areas of the brain used in processing and playing music. These parts of the brain also control motor skills, hearing, storing audio information and memory and become larger and more active when a person learns how to play an instrument. All of this can improve day-to-day actions such as being alert, planning and emotional perception.  Source: The Telegraph

Good for your heart.

According to a BBC report, learning a musical instrument could be good for your heart. Italian and British researchers compared the effect of a range of pieces, from Beethoven to techno, on musicians and non-musicians. Tempo, rather than style, was found to be the greatest stress-buster in both groups. The effects were stronger for the musicians as they had been trained to synchronize breathing with musical phrases. Source: BBC

Finally, check out this interesting compilation of information we found on MyLot.com for a few more factoids, such as …

• Playing the guitar can help with arthritis
• Playing the keyboards is a proven stress prescription (three times more effective than reading or watching TV)
• Harmonicas can help improve lung function because it is played by exhaling as well as inhaling and therefore works similar to the Spirometers used in pulmonary rehab.
• Playing the harp is good for your heart because the calming vibrations can powerfully regulate an abnormal heart beat.
• Playing the drums can boost your immunity by increasing the natural killer T-cells and reduce depression. Good natural body rhythms promote better health, and drumming helps to keep those rhythms synchronized.