When we’re kids, most of us go through phases when it comes to instruments. We learn the things that our friends like, or the instruments our favourite bands play.
Some of us dream of becoming famous musicians or joining bands and some of us just want to get out of a regular lesson occasionally. Learning an instrument can be a way to make new friends, to impress people that we like and to do something a bit different from everyone else.
As kids, these opportunities are afforded us. If we find something that we enjoy and are good at, we are encouraged to continue our learning and given the space to practice. If not, we’re invited to try new things. Parents and teachers see music as an essential part of our learning that will help us to express ourselves, develop our creativity and frankly, keep us out of trouble.
Then, as we get older, the focus on musical education, both in school and at home seems to melt away. Exams and academia become more important to our teachers and parents. Relationships and our social life become more important to us. Unless you’ve got a real talent that you want to pursue or just a hobby that you love, you may well have left the idea of learning to play an instrument behind with all of the other joys of childhood.
However, learning to play an instrument as an adult can be a beautiful thing, and tutors like guitar teacher Zaid Crowe are always available to help. Here are just five of the reasons that you should consider learning to play an instrument in adulthood.
To Have More Fun
As we get older, unfortunately, we have less fun. Even if you think that you are a fun person that laughs a lot, think back to childhood, and you probably have a lot less fun now. Life gets in the way. We have jobs, commitments, families and other responsibilities that take up our time. Even the happiest people have a lot less fun than they once did.
But, fun is good for you. It helps to keep you alert and happy. Smiling more has a vast range of benefits and could potentially help you to live longer. Learning an instrument is a great way to do something fun. Even if you don’t ever have professional lessons and instead spend your time messing around with your instrument, you’ll have fun.
It’s Great Stress Relief
Less fun tends to come with more stress. Adulthood can be stressful even when everything is going well. There’s money worries, family issues, work problems and many other things to worry about. It’s essential to both our physical and mental health that we find ways to reduce our stress and let off some steam. Bottling things up just makes them worse.
Learning to play an instrument gives you a creative outlet for your stress. Burn off this negative energy to create something wonderful.
It’ll Keep Your Mind Active
As we get older, one thing that many of us worry about is our aging minds. As our bodies start to creek and weaken, so to do our minds. We begin to forget things; it takes us longer to think of ideas and our brains simply slow down. For some of us, a little forgetfulness is just a regular part of old age. For others, it can turn into a serious problem that can ruin your quality of life.
One of the best ways to keep your mind young is to use it. Give it a work out just like you do your body. Using it in different ways is a great way to do this. Learning a new skill, like an instrument uses a part of your brain that you don’t usually, it stretches its muscles and keeps it active and alert.
It’s a Fantastic Way to Meet People
Have you ever found yourself wondering how adults make new friends? Kids seem to find it so easy. Then as adults, we can work with the same people for years and barely share more than an awkward chat.
Learning an instrument is a fantastic way to meet new, like-minded people that you’ve got something in common with. To start with, you may just meet your tutor, but later you could play with groups and meet new people at shows and events.
It’s Good for Your Self-Esteem
Most of us are surrounded by negativity. At work, we’re often pulled up on something we’ve done wrong but rarely congratulated on a job well done, and many of us struggle with low self-esteem. Learning something new can help you to give it a boost. You’ll get to see yourself improving over time, hitting goal and reaching milestones. This is great for your confidence.