You Should Take up a Musical Instrument!

July 29, 2008 in Living, Music | 1 comment

Do you sometimes want to get away for a while? Why not enjoy the engaging, beautiful landscape of the world of playing music? 

You’ve probably read some of the numerous articles about the benefits of mental stimulation as we age.  Just like exercise benefits the body, mental challenges benefit the mind. An often overlooked way to stimulate the mind is by playing music. Unlike a lot of other “mental exercises,” playing music not only stimulates the mind, it feeds the soul and the spirit.

I imagine after reading the title of this month’s column, you’ve already come up with some reasons why you shouldn’t take up a musical instrument. One might be: “I have no musical talent.” I disagree. You have musical talent. Everyone does. We were all born with a voice. We were all born hearing sounds – the sound of our own voice, of other’s voices, the sounds of nature, the sounds of the city. We were all born with rhythm. You’re experiencing it right now with the rhythm of your heartbeat. Music is within the fabric of our being and our human nature. It’s just a matter of taking the time to nurture that inner musical voice.

That’s another common argument against learning a musical instrument: “I don’t have the time.” Is that really the case? Of the 168 hours in each week, the average American spends close to 30 of them watching television.* Can you spend five or six of them doing something else? Spend them on a musical instrument. That’s about the amount of time you’ll need to steadily improve while learning to play an instrument. That’s an hour or so a day with a day or two off.  We all lead busy lives. But five or six hours a week on something worthwhile still leaves plenty of time to watch TV and to do anything else you wish. If you dedicate even just a few hours a week to a musical instrument, you will improve. Those increments of improvement may seem small at first. But over the course of weeks, months and even a year, your improvement will continue and you’ll feel an even greater sense of achievement the further along you travel on your musical journey.

Getting back to the idea of musical talent and achievement – when you take up an instrument as a mature adult, will you become as great as Herbie Hancock? Probably not. Is it still worth it?  Most definitely.   You can still achieve the same degree of pleasure that professional musicians can experience when playing the piano, strumming a guitar, blowing through a saxophone or tapping out rhythms on a drum set. The pleasure isn’t so much in playing to paying audiences in clubs, theaters or arenas. The pleasure is in being lost in the moment and in challenging yourself to do something you didn’t think you could do. That’s something anyone can achieve, regardless of their level of experience. It’s not about being great or even good. It’s about being better this week than you were last week. I make the comparison with golf.  Millions of people spend millions of hours playing golf. Do they expect to become the next Tiger Woods? No. Do they still get enjoyment and fulfillment out of practicing, playing and improving their game? Of course they do. The same holds true for playing a musical instrument.   

Maybe you played piano as a child or you were a trumpet player in the high school band. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you’ll pick up where you last left off.   If you’re new to playing a musical instrument, don’t be afraid to try as many as possible to determine which one resonates with your being. Just as some people prefer golf as their form of exercise, others like tennis. Or softball. Or cycling. Or rollerblading.  Just as there is the right sport for you, there is the right instrument for you. Give many of them a try and see what feels best. Be patient with yourself. Trust me, a little of it will go a long way as you learn an instrument for the first time.

After you’ve figured out which instrument is right for you, find a good teacher. You’ll want someone who can instruct you with the proper technique. You wouldn’t take up golf without first learning from an instructor. The same applies with playing an instrument. There’s too much to learn to start off on your own, possibly on the wrong foot. Get the right instruction up front and your journey will be that much more enjoyable.

Once you start learning the proper physical technique it takes to play an instrument – the right way to hold your hands, to shape your lips, to hit a drum, you’re on your way to the psychological and spiritual journey that is at the heart of playing music. As you learn and develop, the gratification will be more than just playing the notes. In time, you’ll move beyond simply reading and playing back those notes. You’ll begin to interpret and finesse them. That’s when the real fun begins.  It could be playing at a slower or faster tempo. Or, it’s playing certain passages softer or louder than others. Those are just a few ways in which you can interpret music and express yourself on an instrument. It’s something that I experience every time I sit at the piano and play. It’s not just notes. It’s expressing my feelings of that moment through those notes. In time, you’ll express yourself with greater depth and richness and you’ll experience the true benefits of playing an instrument.   

These benefits are not limited to those of us who have chosen music as our career. We can all reap the benefits of bringing new challenges to ourselves, of expressing ourselves in new ways, of spending our time with something active and mentally enhancing rather than being passive and possibly mentally stagnating. And remember, it’s not about being “good.”  It’s about being better with each passing week. Besides, I have a feeling you’re probably better than you think you are anyway. So give it a try – take up a musical instrument!

 

*AC Neilsen Survey, 2006.

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  1. drmidi on February 4, 2009 at 5:02 pm

    For me, music is not a means to “get away for awhile”, but is rather the place that I call “home”. I cannot live without it, and that has been true since the early age of four when I started to play the piano on my own ambition. I found that I could play whatever I heard by ear and without reading sheet music, which was more difficult for me to understand at that age.

    I played the piano just about every day! But when it came time to join the elementary school orchestra, I could not sight read as well and they already had someone to play the piano. I decided to join as a cymbal player, and then later studied percussion in addition to my own piano studies. I continued with both disciplines throughout high school and college. I also learned to play the guitar and was fortunate enough to have a camp counselor who taught me the foundamental chords and fingering.

    In later years, I performed with many different venues: talent shows, concerts, small stage productions, recordings, churches, parties, and more. I entered the Yamaha Electone Keyboard Festival and immediately became a National Finalist in the 1988 Festival, playing the Yamaha HX-1 Electone Keyboard (which was configured as a digital-based organ). It was quite a thrill for me to participate in that, and three of my organ students followed my example to the finals during the next few years.

    As for playing music (especially the piano), I agree with Ramsey Lewis that one can explore their own musicality which is inherent in every living person, whether they realize it or not. Most people mistake the process as being a talent or skill which is reserved only for the few and the gifted child or adult. This is not true. We all can hear music, feel music, and appreciate music as a universal language which holds no barriers for anyone. It is only our own hesitation to explore this natural medium which prevents many from determining what music can offer to their own lives.

    Furthermore, there are many musical songs that can be learned just by listening what is going on within each piece, playing along with a recording, for example, and listening to the bass lines, chords, and melody (which is the easiest to remember since it is usually one note at a time), and for which there is no printed sheet music available.

    I usually listen to music at a rather high level so that I can hear all of the frequencies which are present in the piece. With popular piano music, I first listen to the bass and chords to understand its structure… applying the melody later is rather a simple process.

    I also strongly feel that our understanding of music is based upon what we have listened to during our lives. The more you listen, the more your musical vocabulary increases. Thus, you will find that even rock or jazz musicians have also listened to a great amount of classical works, standards, latin, film scores, and many other musical genres.

    I have also been fortunate to have experienced many musicals on Broadway, opera and operettas, dance, and many live performances over the years. When I watch a good movie, I also concentrate on just the soundtrack and very often acquire that on CD, too. Many movie soundtracks are quite enjoyable, even without the film being viewed at the same time.

    But one thing is certain, my life would certainly be quite empty and meaningless without any music, or a piano nearby! To be able to master a piece of music, or even create your own is a truly rewarding life experience like no other.

    And if you’re going to watch TV, at least enjoy some of the great musical performances which are now preserved on film, DVD and various public broadcast channels. This is all part of our great American musical legacy for you to enjoy, study and explore.

    Mark Prigoff
    Digital Jazz Productions