Inside Music Lessons: How Music Improves Our Lives

Music is so much more than a ruckus of sounds and noises.

Music is a form of expression that is scientifically proven to improve our lives. It turns out that our brains actually feel pleasant when we hear new music[1], making music lessons an ideal environment. Music even makes us feel happier and has a healthy effect on the blood flow in our blood vessels[2]. When children and adults engage in music, specifically up-beat music and lyrics, they help themselves perform better in high-pressure situations[3]. What’s more, music engages areas of the brain that are involved with paying attention, making predictions and updating events in our memory[4]. In fact, music lessons in childhood actually enlarge the brain[5].

Science shows that singing helps to increase the use of expressive language, improved cardiovascular function, and improved emotional regulation[6]. Playing the piano is shown to develop stronger, more coordinated hand muscles, giving those who play an advantage in skills that require more hand dexterity, as well as increased eye-hand coordination.

Singing and piano lessons are fun, creative ways for us to improve ourselves overall. After one year of lessons, studies show that music students develop improved memory correlated with general intelligence skills, scoring higher on reading, spelling, math, and spatial tests[7]. Improve your life with music and sign up for singing lessons, piano lessons, or even both!

[1] Menon, V., & Levitin, D. (2005). The rewards of music listening: Response and physiological connectivity of the mesolimbic system. NeuroImage, 28(1), 175-184. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2005.05.053q

[2] “Positive Emotions and the Endothelium: Does Joyful Music Improve Vascular Health?” Miller M, Beach V, Mangano C, Vogel RA. Oral Presentation. American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, 11/11/2008.

[3] Mesagno, C., Marchant, D., & Morris, T. (2009). Alleviating Choking: The Sounds of Distraction. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 21(2), 131-147. doi:10.1080/10413200902795091

[4] Baker, Mitzi. “Music Moves Brain to Pay Attention, Stanford Study Finds.” – Office of Communications & Public Affairs. Stanford School of Medicine, 2014. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://med.stanford.edu/news_releases/2007/july/music.html>.

[5] Pantev, C., Roberts, L. E., Schulz, M., Engelien, A., & Ross, B. (2001). Timbre-specific enhancement of auditory cortical representations in musicians. Neuroreport, 12(1), 169-174. doi:10.1097/00001756-200101220-00041

[6] Wan, C. Y., Rüber, T., Hohmann, A., & Schlaug, G. (2010, April 01). The Therapeutic Effects of Singing in Neurological Disorders. Retrieved March 21, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2996848/

[7] Fujioka, T. (2006). One year of musical training affects development of auditory cortical-evoked fields in young children. Brain, 129(10), 2593-2608. doi:10.1093/brain/awl247