How Learning an Instrument Can Help You Break Bad Habits & Create Good Ones

Just about everyone can relate to the feeling of joy that comes with listening to a favorite song, regardless of its musical style. But going a step further and actually producing music by playing an instrument has many more positive benefits. Studies have famously shown that even unborn children can benefit from listening to music in the womb. Children, teenagers, and even adults who pick up an instrument later in life can also benefit from learning to play something like a violin, guitar, piano, flute, or another instrument. In children, playing an instrument can foster important life skills and create good habits. For teenagers and adults, playing an instrument can break bad habits and replace them with good ones.

A Positive Outlet for Stress and Anxiety

Stress and anxiety, for many people, are a common occurrence. To cope, some people turn to self-medication with drugs, alcohol, and other risky behavior. But research shows that learning an instrument can help you stop drinking and engaging in harmful behaviors and activities. In fact, music is often integrated into drug and alcohol recovery programs because of its healing benefits. Channeling energy into playing an instrument requires a lot of mental energy. Ultimately, playing a song or spending time practicing produces a sense of well-being. This “natural” high is a much better replacement for the euphoria achieved by drugs and alcohol. And unlike drugs and alcohol, which can create dependency and exacerbate depression and anxiety, music develops self-confidence and a positive outlook.

Greater Intellectual Curiosity

Learning an instrument and learning to read music is a cognitive challenge. However, the process of learning stimulates brain activity and sparks intellectual curiosity. Novice musicians might want to know how a song was created. By learning the notes and playing the song themselves, they learn how notes work in harmony to produce a pleasant sound. More experienced musicians might want to know what gives a chord emotions and why certain notes and rhythms sound so pleasing to the ears. But the benefits extend beyond music, too. At any age, playing an instrument can foster greater curiosity about the outside world. Children and teenagers who play instruments tend to do better with math and get higher scores on standardized tests than their non-musical peers. The ability to perform well on standardized tests is particularly important when applying to college later on. College admissions typically consider SAT/ACT scores, AP test scores, and GED test scores for students who have received a GED certification. In addition to test performance, studies have shown that practicing music slows or stops cognitive decline in senior citizens.

Discipline and Perseverance

While playing an instrument might look effortless for professional musicians on stage, the reality is that it takes a lot of practice and patience to reach that point. Musicians—both novice and experienced—must spend a long time learning to read notes, chords, and other music symbols when they play a song. Simultaneously, they must master the art of playing with proper technique. Getting all of this down takes a lot of practice and patience! But sticking with it teaches self-discipline and perseverance. In turn, that gives musicians a higher level of self-confidence. This is a critical benefit for children and teenagers, but it can also help adults find a sense of self-worth and learn to deal with other challenging aspects of their personal life.

Positive Social Interactions

Even though they're playing a solo instrument, many musicians inevitably end up playing or practicing with at least one other. This can take place in the form of a music-teacher relationship, group music lessons, or friends simply getting together to practice. In any of those situations, the atmosphere is supportive, encouraging, and quite often fun. Having exposure to these positive experiences is helpful for children and especially teenagers, who are likely dealing with peer pressure and high emotions. In adults, this positive social interaction has therapeutic benefits.

A Healthier Lifestyle

You may sometimes feel like your blood pressure and heart rate drop after listening to music, and it's not just in your head! Staff at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, which is located in Boston, say that listening to music does indeed lower heart rate, stress levels, and blood pressure. The effect is magnified by producing music. Additionally, evidence has shown that producing music may even stimulate the immune system, which in turn reduces your likelihood of getting sick. Mastering an instrument also develops hand-eye coordination. These benefits, combined with an overall more positive outlook on life, make musicians tend to live an overall healthy lifestyle.

At any age, playing an instrument can be tremendously rewarding. There are many psychological benefits of practicing an instrument, ranging from lowering stress and anxiety levels to increasing focus. Practicing an instrument also helps children perform better in school. Learning an instrument can help you stop drinking or using drugs, and it replaces those temptations with a positive outlet. Whether you're looking to ditch bad habits or create admirable new ones—at any age—it's never too late to start playing.