Playing a Musical Instrument Effects the Brain
Throughout history, many musicians have been born and some have acquired fame through playing musical instruments and creating compositions. Humans have not stopped playing music because of war. Kurt Weill, a German composer active from the 1920s to the end of his life, performed and toured during World War II. Humans continue to bring the art of music to life even when going through hardship –like Ludwig Van Beethoven, who aside from composing the well-known Fur Elise and Moonlight Sonata, was completely deaf for the last quarter of his life. It is common-sense knowledge that music is not only for the listeners, it is for the performers as well. Why a musician chooses to play music and why one might desire to listen to music is centred in the human brain. In another words, playing a musical instrument benefits the human brain. This research paper will support this thesis by discussing the brain development of a musical child, how playing music helps retain memory and hearing in aging adults, and lastly, how music relieves stress.
Although Mozart may have been a musical prodigy, science now has evidence that any individual can benefit from …show more content…
Those who play music for the sake of creating is another way of saying those who play music for fun. This kind of musician may benefit from the stress-relieving component that playing an instrument can offer. Current discoveries indicate that music around 60 beats per minute (andante tempo) causes the brain to synchronize with the beat producing alpha brainwaves, which is what is present when relaxed and conscious. Researchers at Stanford University have said, “Listening to music seems to be able to change brain functioning to the same extent as medication,” noting that music is an easily accessible, stress-relieving