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Corinne Turner

Professor Johnson

ENG-1201

12 April 2020

The Benefits of Music Untold

            Picture a young student who dreams of playing an instrument. When the opportunity

comes to join the band, he does not wait. He goes straight home to tell his parents about his

dream and how he cannot wait to start band class. When his parents look at the class scheduling

form, they notice that he could have a study hall instead. They tell him that he needs to focus on

his studies and that playing musical instruments is a waste of one’s time. Are the parents correct?

Is playing musical instruments truly a waste of time? Studies show that this is not the case.

Playing musical instruments regularly is worthwhile because it increases brain function, boosts

mental health, and teaches necessary social skills.

Whether it is played while doing homework, in concerts, or even in the background while

shopping at the grocery store, music is a crucial part of daily life. It influences all ages, genders,

religions, and so many more parts of life. It has been played for centuries and loved by many. It

Caravaggio, Michelangelo. The Musicians, 1595.

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has been used by many religions to recall prayers to their gods. In his book, Musicophilia, Oliver

Sacks writes, “The usefulness to recall large amounts of information, especially in a preliterate

culture, is surely one reason why musical abilities have flourished in our species” (Sacks, 239).

Oliver Sacks is saying that people who are illiterate and/or have low verbal IQs can recite more

information because of music.

            The first benefit received from playing music is increased brain function. Music increases

brain function because it helps to sharpen memory, works both sides of the brain at once,

increases focus, and can improve reading and writing. Music affects your memory because it

works the memory's speed and strength. The video, How Playing an Instrument Benefits Your

Brain, says that musicians can create, store, and retrieve memories quicker than the average

person (TED-Ed and Collins). Being a musician requires a quick mind. When thought about, it is

evident that musicians must be able to follow the tempo of the conductor, while also reading

their music. Music reading requires the musician to remember their notes and play them at

whatever speed the conductor wants. If the musician practices daily, the memory function will be

exercised every day, thus making the memory of the musician better.

Children are not the only ones that have a better memory because of music. Music can

help the memory of elderly people as well. Oliver Sacks tells the story of an elderly man with

Alzheimer’s disease. His memory was so bad that he got his wife and a hat mixed up (Sacks,

237-237). However, Sacks says that the elderly man, “could perform the needs and tasks of the

day if they were organized in a song” (Sacks, 236-237). Music made it easier for the elderly

man’s brain to remember his daily needs, such as in the right order to do tasks. When one puts

important information into a song, it makes it easier for one to recall the information, because the

brain recognizes that information as important. In the TEDx Talks video, Music Therapy and
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Mental Health, Lucia Clohessy talks about how music therapy helps many different types of

patients including Dementia (TEDx Talks and Clohessy). Music forces the brain to use parts that

deteriorate when aging. Humans put things to music all the time to remember things like the

alphabet.

The video How playing an instrument benefits your brain talks about playing music

works better than just listening to it because playing instruments works both sides of the brain at

once (TED-Ed and Collins). The more the brain is worked, the stronger it becomes. Another

reason why playing music improves brain function is because it works on both sides of the brain

at once. The video, says that playing music, “combines the linguistics and mathematical

precision in which the left hemisphere is more involved, with the novel and creative content that

the right excels in” (TED-Ed and Collins). Playing music is similar to a full-body workout for

the brain (TED-Ed and Collins). What does this look like? Take swimming for example.

Swimming demands the work of the legs and arms resulting in the whole body becoming more

conditioned. Unlike running that only works the legs. This is how playing music affects the

brain. A musician uses both sides of the brain when playing an instrument, resulting in a more

conditioned brain. Studies have shown how music positively affects all parts of the brain in fMRI

scans. fMRI stands for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The article “Music Gets You

Moving and More” says, “studies have shown that music ‘lights up’ brain areas involved in

emotion, memory, and even physical movement” (Sound Health). When Sound Health says

“lights up”, they are talking about the fMRI scans. When experiencing an fMRI scan, sections of

the brain will light up on the screen when those sections experience activity. Playing music

creates a light show in the brain.

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            Another brain function that increases from playing music is the brain's focus. As

previously mentioned, musicians need to be mindful of the conductor, keep tempo, remember the

counts of their notes, and quickly translate what they are reading into memorized fingerings. This

takes a huge amount of focus. Music requires one to be extremely alert and focused due to the

number of things one must keep track of all at once. Kim Kohl, a band teacher at Dayton

Christian School and a Cedarville graduate, says that she has seen her Junior High class goes

from being, “completely insane middle schoolers to completely focused individuals in just a few

minutes when I begin conducting” (Kohl). Whether a person has issues with attention or not,

music demands complete focus. It can improve the attention span of anyone.  The more one is

forced to pay attention, the better their attention span will become. A growing attention span will

help in the classroom and the future workplace.

            The last brain function booster of music is that it can improve reading and writing. It was

already said that music works both sides of the brain. The left hemisphere of the brain is used for

mathematics and language (TED-Ed and Collins). Playing music requires reading notes quickly

and communicating emotions through sound. Music changes the development of the brain for the

better. Even if the brain is almost or fully developed, playing music can still make a difference in

language and linguistics. Sound Health writes about Dr. Nina Kraus’s research, which found that

playing instruments can still have positive effects, even if it is started later (Sound Health). The

effects of playing music are long-lasting. It also talks about music positively effecting reading

and writing.(Sound Health). This is because playing music is a great way for someone to express

themselves. Even though the music does not always use words, it does teach one how to

communicate, because it trains the brain to recognize and register data faster.
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The second reason why playing instruments is worthwhile is because it boosts mental

health. Mental health is boosted by music because it encourages creativity, is a positive

emotional outlet, and gives one a sense of achievement. It is obvious that playing music is a way

to express one’s creativity, but how is that helpful? A study was done in London, England with a

group of mental health patients, who took a “once-a-week drum workshop for 90 minutes”

(Perkins, 4). While many benefits were seen in this study, one of them was, “the specific features

of the learning [of music], including learning [music] as an inclusive activity in which the

concept of mistakes is dissolved and in which there is musical freedom, supported by an

embodied learning process expedited by the musical facilitator” (Perkins, 1). This quote is saying

is the patience enjoyed and benefitted from the mistake-welcoming and freedom that they

experienced from playing music. This created the idea that it is impossible to make mistakes

which in turn, relieves stress.

Another mental health benefit of playing music is that it is a positive release for one’s

emotions, good or bad. Emotion and drama are crucial in the music-making process. When one is

experiencing extreme emotion, especially bad emotion, it is important to release that extra

energy and anxiety. I know this through my own experiences. I have been a musician for eight

years. I started playing in fifth grade. I am now eighteen and being a teenager is incredibly

stressful and exhausting. I also was diagnosed with ADHD in third grade, so for me, school can

be extra difficult and overwhelming. I take Jazz Band and Concert Band at my high school, and

each period that I spend involved in music is a huge stress reliever for me. Having some time in

band class works as a mental break for my mind because my classes do not pile up on my mind

and cause me stress. When I play music, I feel like I press pause on life for an hour. I play the

clarinet, the tenor saxophone, dabble in piano chords, and I have a drum set at home. When I am
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anxious, I play music. I feel a huge amount of unhealthy energy leaves my mind when I do.

Music is my way of making something beautiful out of something ugly. Just think which is

better? Banging one’s fists on a table or banging on a drum? Screaming at the top of one’s lungs

or playing exciting music that one hears in an action movie? The best part of playing music is

that one can choose the genre that would satisfy his or her emotions. It is a calming experience

that is unique to the individual.

The last reason why music improves mental health is that it gives one a sense of

achievement. Music is a skill that takes work to master. Mrs. Kim Kohl says, “Music can be easy

to learn (Kohl)”, but that does not mean that being a musician is work-free. Kohl goes on to say

that, “once students finally understand what they are playing or what they are reading, then they

get that satisfaction and excitement of knowing they achieved something on their own” (Kohl).

In a culture that is so focused on beating oneself up for the smallest mistakes, positive

reinforcement is crucial to growing the desire to learn anything, not just music. Kohl talks about

how she teaches a small, easy lesson to her younger students. The thought process is that when

the students understand the easy lesson, they will get a sense of achievement and be motivated to

learn and practice more (Kohl). This positive reinforcement is important in the learning process.

It is even more important in life.

The last reason why playing musical instruments is helpful is because it teaches

necessary social skills like working with others, patience, and problem-solving. These skills are

important because they are necessary for the workplace. Playing music teaches students how to

work well with others. It requires the student to listen to their surroundings and fit themselves

into it. This is because playing music is a form of communication. It is wordless, but that does

not matter. In her interview, Kim Kohl talks about working together and how it is the biggest
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thing music teaches (Kohl). Learning cooperation is important for anyone if they want to succeed

in college and at any job. The study mentioned previously about mental health patients

benefitting from rhythmic drum workshops also showed improvements in social acceptance. The

research said that "The specific features of the group…as a space of connection in and through

the rhythmic features of the drumming, [facilitated] feelings of belonging, acceptance, safety,

and care, and new social interactions” (Perkins, 1). This is saying that the subjects enjoyed and

benefitted from working with others around them. Music forces one to be around other people

and in new circumstances. For example, when learning a piece, students must adjust their

volume and refrain from shining through everyone else. If one or a few students shine through

the others, the piece will not have a good, quality sound. Playing music allows students to learn

organizational skills because they have to be accountable and flexible with others. 

Another social skill that playing music teaches is patience. This may seem obvious, but

music requires a huge amount of patience, especially when first learning the instrument. That is

why one receives a sense of achievement when they finally get the hang of it. Kim Kohl says that

“the classes she teaches that will learn the most patience, is her fifth and sixth-grade classes

because they are just starting to learn how to have decent sound and learn their notes” (Kohl).

Kohl continues to say, “One thing I teach my students, no matter what age group, is to not get

frustrated with their music. Learning music takes some time and you have to be patient” (Kohl).

She is right. That is why music teaches one an immense amount of patience. Since Ted-Ed says

that playing music, “strengthens those brain functions, allowing us to apply that strength to other

activities” (TED-Ed and Collins). If patience can be learned through playing music, then students

are more likely to have better patience. Patience is an important skill to learn for anything in life

including jobs, raising children, doing work projects, and many other activities.
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The last social skill that can be learned through playing music is problem-solving. It was

already said that playing music works both sides of the brain at once. When both sides of the

brain are at work, the Corpus Callosum will develop. The Corpus Callosum is the bridge

between both hemispheres that allows for the creative and mathematical hemispheres of the brain

to communicate (TED-Ed and Collins). The video goes on to say that exercise of this bridge

helps musicians to solve problems creatively (TED-Ed and Collins). Musicians have to solve

problems all the time. For example, dynamics, instructions in music that symbolize how loud one

should play, are not set in stone. Dynamics are relative to how loud others are playing. If one

person has Forte (or loud) in a solo, and the others have Mezzo forte (medium loud) in their

music, then the Mezzo Forte students will have to make sure that they are quieter than the one

student who has the solo. That means they may have to play even quieter than medium-loud

because a soloist playing Forte is significantly quieter than the whole band playing Mezzo Forte.

Playing music requires constant adjustment and problem solving to get the best result.

            Playing music has other benefits besides increasing brain function, boosting mental

health, and gaining social skills. Music also allows the mind to connect with the body. This may

sound strange, but it is true. “Playing music uses the brain, but the drama and tone in it connect

with your emotions, while simultaneously using precise fingering to play the music you are

looking at (Kohl)”. Music uses one’s fingers and emotions to make their music. “Playing a

musical instrument engages practically every area of the brain at once, especially the visual,

auditory, and motor cortices (TED-Ed and Collins)”. The auditory is in charge of the ears, while

the motor controls voluntary movement. The visual very clearly is involved with the eyes. All of

these things are necessary for music. This all happens because a musician is constantly trying to

use a piece of equipment (an instrument) while trying to produce good, quality sound with his or
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her emotions. This is more beneficial than singing or listening because it involves just one,

maybe two of these cortices at once.

            Music Therapy can also be used as a recovering strategy to help patients who have

suffered from things like trauma, anxiety, depression, Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and so much

more. It helps people who have illnesses or specific situations that cause (or previously caused)

mental and emotional damage. The video from TEDx Talks, speaks about a study that was done

on music therapy (TEDx Talks and Clohessy). Researchers wanted to see if music could

decrease the stress level in patients undergoing cancer treatments. The video said, “Patients

provided with music therapy had a significant decrease in their distress and anxiety, while the

patients who did not have music therapy became more anxious” (TEDx Talks and Clohessy).

The video talks more about music and how it is, “an intrinsic part of the human experience”

(TEDx Talks and Clohessy). This means that, as it was said before, music gives a feeling of

belonging naturally. Oliver Sacks speaks in his book about music helping patients with frontal

lobe damage. “Music has the power to embed sequences and to do this when other forms of

organization (including verbal ones) fail (Sacks, 237)”. Music can get the brain’s attention and

force it to work together like nothing else. It sticks in one’s head and the sequences create order

in the mind, thus helping people whose brains do not work as well.

            Some say that people who play music were smarter, to begin with, thus proving that

music provides no benefit at all. TED-Ed's video on musical benefits, says that "Neuroscientists

have explored these issues, but so far they have found that the artistic and aesthetic aspects of

learning to play a musical instrument are different from any other activity studied, including

other arts" (TED-Ed and Collins). Since music involves so many aspects of the mind, body, and

emotions, music is way different than any other activity or skill. TED-Ed then proves this theory
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by speaking about a randomized study where some individuals were chosen to play music while

others were not. Both types of students had the same amount of cognitive brain function at the

start. The study found that “those who were put to a period of music learning showed

enhancement of multiple brain areas compared to the others” (TED-Ed and Collins). This study

proves that learning music enhances brainpower.

            Another common myth is that playing music takes students out of the classroom when

students could be studying and learning. While it is not a myth that music takes the student out of

the classroom or gives them a break in their day, it is a myth that the student stops learning and

that it presents no benefit. Kim Kohl says that music, “is a way for students to have fun, take a

mental break and,” as it was said previously, “is a building block for learning future

skills”(Kohl). It is important to know that taking mental breaks is part of the learning process. It

gives the mind time to absorb what it has just learned. With no breaks, the brain can become

overwhelmed which causes frustration. When frustration sets in, the brain will not be in the

proper mental state to learn more. Since students can see their progress and success as they

continue to learn their instruments, they achieve that “sense of success’ that is incredibly useful

in productive learning. The combination of a mental break with positive, reinforced learning is

proof that music does more than take students out of the classroom. It is a productive way to

learn a new skill while taking a crucial mental break.

            In conclusion playing music can give many benefits in brain function, mental health, and

social skills. Even if one picks up an instrument in their old age, they can still share in many of

these benefits. It is important to know that playing music is not for everyone and there is nothing

wrong with that. If however, wanting to play an instrument is not useless. Music is more than an

activity. For some, especially musicians, it is a way of life that is necessary and they cannot do
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without it. If you hear someone comment that “music is a waste of time”, know that they are

wrong. Playing music does your brain a favor. If anyone wants to pursue a musical instrument,

they should. Friends, family, and teachers should be supportive and encourage them to pursue

their dream.

           
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Works Cited

Caravaggio, Michelangelo. The Musicians, 1595.

Kohl, Kim. 28 Feb. 2020.

Perkins, Rosie, et al. “Making Music for Mental Health: How Group Drumming Mediates

Recovery.” Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research & Practice, vol. 6, no. 1, Nov.

2016, pp. 1–17. EBSCOhost, DOI:10.1186/s13612-016-0048-0.

Sacks, Oliver. Musicophilia. London, Picador, 2018.

Sound Health. “Sound Health.” NIH News in Health, 22 Dec. 2017,

newsinhealth.nih.gov/2018/01/sound-health. Accessed 11 Apr. 2020.

TED-Ed, and Anita Collins. “How Playing an Instrument Benefits Your Brain - Anita

Collins.” YouTube, 22 July 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0JKCYZ8hng. Accessed

9 Apr.2020.

TEDx Talks, and Lucia Clohessy. “Music Therapy and Mental Health | Lucia Clohessy |

TEDxWCMephamHigh.” YouTube, 14 June 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=-io-

uld2JFU. Accessed 9 Apr.2020.