Everyone is encouraged as a young child to do one or two things, play a sport or learn an instrument. Both play very important roles in a person’s life. Sports teaches teamwork, something that we all need to be able to do with other people. Teamwork teaches being able to rely on others to get a job done. If we don’t learn this we become skeptic of others. The other piece that sports teaches us is coordination and quick response. Unfortunately, as we age the ability to play sports diminishes.
Music on the other hand does something unique. It makes connections in the brain that enforce creativity. Without creativity we become dull. Since playing an instrument requires two hands and each hand is controlled by a different side of the brain, music does something else for human development. It establishes bridges in the brain’s synapses for both sides to come together and work in unison. Whatever instrument it may be, whether it be piano, guitar, violin, or the bag pipes, we become better thinkers and creators. Unlike sports, music can be shared and continued well into life’s later years when the ability to actively play sports is behind us.
