The benefits of being a musician...

[TheGreek]

Few adults play musical instruments, and even fewer do so in a group, Caroline Mimbs Nyce writes.

 

What health benefits might they be giving up?

 

https://theatln.tc/oglkQfzJ

 

“Kids receive plenty of music education, but as people get older, they fall out of practice. Many stop picking up their instrument,” Nyce writes. “This is unfortunate, in part because plenty of research shows that adults could benefit from playing music.”

 

Playing music helps build larger brain networks and new pathways. “Musicians tend to have better attention than nonmusicians,” Nyce continues. “Banging on a drum or tooting a horn can also relieve stress, reduce burnout, and help with anxiety and depression. For older people specifically, research has shown potential cognitive benefits along with a possible decrease in dementia risk.”

 

Adults may be skipping out in part because music education is associated with childhood and coursework. And after people grow out of music education in their childhood, they tend to think that music is a special talent, Nyce writes, not something that just anybody can learn.

 

“Of course, people are busy; they simply may not have the luxury of sitting down to study Bach once a week, much less the money to pay for an instrument or private lessons,” Nyce writes. 

 

Playing music in groups has additional benefits, such as allowing adults to feel more trusting of and connected to one another, and to the world in general. But while it’s easy to go to a park or gym and pull together a game of pickup basketball, “piecing together people at the same skill level to play a concerto or even just jam in a garage is another matter.”

 

Nyce herself recently began to play the recorder. “I plan to keep learning,” she writes, “not because it strengthens my neuropathways per se (though I certainly don’t mind that), but because making music, even when it’s silly—perhaps especially when it’s silly—is just a whole lot of fun.” 

[bassbiscuits]

I would add to that the social benefits of being in a band. Most of my friends are people I’ve met through through music, and playing in a band has given me with much of my travel and life experiences.

Also a lot of what I’ve learned about the world, people and about myself has been via the “musician” part of my life, which has been the only stable thread running thru a lot of it.

Definitely agree on the cognitive side of it as well. I don’t read music so the mental imagery I use to map out what I’m learning is quite elaborate.
 

And I reckon that years of picking out basslines and vocal harmonies from all the other music is quite a skill of concentration and selection. 
 

So yeah. Basically being a musician is a superpower yay.  

 

[Lozz196]

There have been so many benefits to being a musician in my life that I’d find it hard to think of them all and write them down. 

[odysseus]

Being bassists makes us chick magnets, apparently.  Yay!! 🤓

 

 

 

[Hellzero]

I must be an extraordinary powerful magnet that doesn't seem to work that well as I don't do blacksmithing (but who really does these days) and astronomy, but all the rest. 🥱🤣

 

That said I like gastronomy, does that count... 🤦🏻🤪

[Leonard Smalls]

I think that unless they're very lucky many musicians find that if they want to be a musician they need to be on benefits in order to eat!

 

[Geek99]

1 hour ago, odysseus said:

Being bassists makes us chick magnets, apparently.  Yay!! 🤓

 

 

 

I do the top five and spend every waking hour fighting off scantily clad women, all just desperate to grab my bookmark 

 

and then I wake up  

[Bilbo]

I always thought that having a hobby that brings in more money than it costs it was argument enough.

[Leonard Smalls]

13 minutes ago, Bilbo said:

a hobby that brings in more money than it costs it was argument enough

speak for yourself 

[TheLowDown]

Well if it's a benefit if you enjoy it.

 

Also, for many people with dementia, many of their hobbies they will be unable to do. But because music ability is so deeply integrated(evolutionary speaking, it's far far older than the language centres of the brain) in the brain, we can still enjoy listening to and even playing Mustang Sally et al.

 

To add to what TheGreek has mentioned, I first saw this short animation a few years back that was quite illuminating

 

[Steve Browning]

2 hours ago, odysseus said:

Being bassists makes us chick magnets, apparently.  Yay!! 🤓

 

 

 

 

You know this means musicians using a music stand have 2.8% more pulling power than any of us who don't use one. Imagine if the 'chicks' knew the pages were full of Italian words? Those classical guys have the top 3 covered!!

[jezzaboy]

1 hour ago, Bilbo said:

I always thought that having a hobby that brings in more money than it costs it was argument enough.

What is this "brings in more money than it cost" madness that you speak of? 

[diskwave]

I simply cannot comprehend not being a musician. And at the risk of sounding pompous and a bit up myself I cant imagine what its like for those who aren't because as has already been suggested playing a musical instrument and even just thinking creatively kinda rounds out the personality. It's certainly made me into someone that thinks about stuff a lot....I also like to think the majority of musicians are a kinda peaceful bunch too.

[tauzero]

My nephew (very musically talented) has just joined a band. As he's down in Cornwall I don't know if I'll ever see them, but I was talking to my sister-in-law about them and she said it was proving very valuable for the mental health of all the band members (I don't know if my nephew has any great need of help with his mental health but it won't hurt).

[bassbiscuits]

I suspect music a bit like the apparent mental benefits of learning another language - they are both quite abstract, complex skills which people devise different ways of adapting to make their own.

 

Both have got to involve a wealth of quite advanced brain skills. 
 

And if it makes us more attractive to the opposite sex then hey, jackpot.  

[Hellzero]

It has to be said, but it seems Caroline Mimbs Nyce never heard of T.M. Stevens.

 

I know exception confirms the rule...

[odysseus]

3 hours ago, tauzero said:

My nephew (very musically talented) has just joined a band. As he's down in Cornwall I don't know if I'll ever see them, but I was talking to my sister-in-law about them and she said it was proving very valuable for the mental health of all the band members (I don't know if my nephew has any great need of help with his mental health but it won't hurt).

 

Anything that gets the buggers off their phones and communicating in real life as well as being creative can only be a winner!  Good on 'im! 

[Count Bassy]

TBH, I hadn't noticed 95.4 % of women being attracted to me.

It must be because I'm shit at it.

 

[Lozz196]

I was spending too much time wondering what was wrong with the other 4.6% and why they didn’t fancy me…….

[Geek99]

3 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

I was spending too much time wondering what was wrong with the other 4.6% and why they didn’t fancy me…….

They’re probably the 4.6% with no taste 👍