Here’s an interesting question that many have asked: Why should I bother learning a musical instrument at my age? Let’s look at why.

We could end this article with a real bang if we were to save this reason until the end but it deserves to be at the top of the list: Because you want to. In your lifetime, how many times have you heard somebody say, or you said it yourself, “I’m tone deaf and that’s why I’m not musically inclined.”? You’ve surely heard it or said it at some point and it’s time we give you a well thought out, academic response to that statement:

HOGWASH!

The facts are that only a very small percentage of the population is tone deaf. If you were to put 100 people in a room, no more than 4 of them would be tone deaf. If you can listen to the radio and hear different pitches in a song, you aren’t tone deaf and even if you were, you could still play some musical instruments. Let’s not forget that Beethoven was deaf towards the end of his life and was still able to compose music.

The human mind is wired for artistic expression. Each one of us have a desire to be creative, think about things that have no borders, boundaries, or walls, write a book, paint a picture, or make music. The chances of you having no desire for the arts is about as likely as your tone deafness. If you think your desire to learn to play a musical instrument is the result of some short lived mid life crisis, let us assure you that it has always been there but the other parts of your life probably put it on the back burner until now. “Because you want to” is the most important and valid reason to learn a music instrument and no scientific studies or expert opinions can change that. That’s one of the great things about music. Everybody, regardless of who they are or how talented, can participate.

For you factual people out there, let’s look at a few more concrete reasons why learning a musical instrument as an adult is a good idea. First, it stimulates the mind. That big organ that sits between your ears doesn’t get the same amount of respect as the heart. You’ve heard about exercising your heart to keep it strong but few people tell you that the brain needs exercise to keep it strong and healthy.

It does and when you challenge it to think and process in different ways, you’re helping to fend off neurological issues. Learning a music instrument will make your mind sharper and your brain more healthy. We’re not saying that it’s the secret to avoiding neurological problems in the future any more than a cardiologist could say that running assures you a disease free heart. Scientist have proven that it helps.

In children, those who study a musical instrument score higher on standardized tests like the ACT and SAT because music using a certain area of the brain that isn’t used as much in more objective based activities.

Next, fine muscle movement. Again, the heart gets all the fitness love but how about your fingers? Using those smaller muscles in the body keeps them lose, strong, and functioning properly. There aren’t many other activities out there that can exercise your fingers and other associated little used muscles.

Finally, it brings people together. Although there is a lot of music meant to be played alone, music builds communities. People like to play music together and if you’re one of those adults that has trouble meeting people, music might help to solve that problem. Play at church, in a local band, with a friend, or with family members that you haven’t connected with in a long time. The options are virtually endless.

Why learn to play a music instrument as an adult? Because until now, you’ve missed out on a whole world of art and the art world has no boundaries. Maybe somebody told you that music doesn’t make any money so it’s not worth your time. For most people, that’s true but either does football, golf, boating, scrapbooking, or whatever hobby you enjoy. Not everything has to make money. It’s ok to just have fun and find fulfillment.

Start with a few lessons at PlayPianoCatalog and see how much you like it!