5 Reasons Why Playing An Instrument Is Good For You
I have been playing piano for around 10 years now. What I learned from my piano playing experience has guided me throughout my life. Playing the piano allows me to be part of something bigger than myself while living in the moment. It's a feeling every musician knows and will never forget.
Self-Expression
My three brothers and I all play the piano. I remember there was this one piece we all learned called Cristofori's Dream. Despite it being the same piece of music, we all played it differently.
My eldest brother stuck with what was written but wasn't afraid to slow down in some areas, allowing the emotional depth in the sound to sink in. He also kept his body relatively still while playing it, like a professional.
I added some arpeggios into the piece, which add some oomph to the base portion.
We each played it differently even though it was the same piece of music. Every musician does this as a form of self-expression, adding themselves to the piece of music. Almost as if the player is having a conversation with the original composer.
Patience and Puzzle Solving
When you pick up a new piece of music, you have to practice it over and over and over again. You might start treating it like a puzzle. You have to dissect it, pick it apart, then stitch it back together. For me and most pianists, I need to figure out what key the piece is in, figure out the notes, find the right fingering find the right tempo (speed), then practice... A LOT!
All of this requires patience. I no longer get frustrated from messing something up anymore because I know how to examine whatever it is I'm doing wrong to fix it, and if I can't then I ask someone for help. Playing the piano taught me the patience we all need to make any necessary changes in ourselves.
In essence, playing an instrument will make you a better person by teaching you patience and new ways of figuring things out.
Take the ACT Exams for example. If you've ever taken one for colleges, you might remember the Science and Reasoning section. In this section, you are given scientific graphs you've never seen before and asked questions about them. The purpose of each graph is explained but you have to figure out what each portion of the graph is representing in regards to whatever is asked.
Practicing a new piece of music is similar. When you first look at it, you might find certain areas that are new to you, and you have to figure out how the variations of notes translate to your fingers, hands, and wrists. However, the reward is so much greater than a simple test score!
Once you've conquered the piece, it's now part of you. You now get to experiment, adding or subtracting notes, making it yours. When you make a piece of music your own, it becomes part of your self-expression.
Newfound Appreciation for Music
The fun really starts when you're ready to play new pieces of music without an instructor. You'll start finding new, more modern, pieces you want to play, usually one's that you hear from either a movie or TV show. As your musical vocabulary grows, you'll eventually have a newfound appreciation for new genres of music.
Because of my piano playing, I have a piano song playlist and soundtrack playlist that I listen to on a regular basis.
Live in the Moment
You know that feeling, when you're driving down the highway and you forget the entire drive? Playing an instrument can feel like that, except you remember every part. Unlike driving, playing an instrument forces you to be present while also being in the zone. The newly released Pixar movie Soul talks about it.
Playing the piano is the closest I've ever come to living in the moment. You're in a ruitine while feeling every movement and experiencing every note you play. The last thing you want to do is play the wrong note. Now that you've learned how to play it, this piece is sacred to you. Even though you've played it a thousand times, everyone else has probably heard this piece once, which means you have to play it as best you can.
When you play an instrument, and you do it well, fears about the past, present, and future disappear. You enjoy the sound you are producing to the fullest extent. Playing an instrument can also help you mentally.
My younger brother suffers from depression and anxiety, but playing the piano is possibly the best form of therapy for him. He states in an academic essay he wrote:
Feelings of hopelessness and anxiety crept in as often as they could. However, even in the worst of it, playing piano had a very therapeutic effect on me. It was an escape from all the craziness of junior year: just me and the music. Expressing myself and everything I had been feeling through the piece while also getting closer towards one of my biggest accomplishments, was a very satisfying experience that had a very positive effect on my life. Seeing myself make progress in music was one of the biggest sources of hope and happiness I had when I was going through this period.
The feeling of fulfillment, satisfaction, accomplishment, and most of all: hope and happiness; all of these feelings come with learning how to play an instrument. Music is arguably the greatest thing man has ever created. Countless scientific studies show that absorbing music, not just through your ears, but through your entire body will improve your entire mental state.
Everything gets better when you allow music to flow throughout your body. It's a feeling that is difficult to describe in words alone, but once you feel it, you remember it forever.