The Benefits of Playing Music

Research has suggested that playing a musicalawesome. Modern keyboards and piano clavinovas
instrument has positive effects on the brain and(see description below) can be made to produce
reduces stress levels significantly, and from mypractically any instrument in the orchestra as well
personal experience as a therapist and as anfunctioning as a conventional piano.
ex-musician I think the research is spot on.I own two instruments, both Yamahas, I am
According to the book Superlearning 2000 bysomewhat biased towards Yamaha - a PSR-3000
Sheila Ostrander, you can "sharpen your mindfor portable use and a piano clavinova CVP 405. I
with music and high-frequency sound" and as ahave loved Yamahas since playing a piano in a
musician I have often created my own simplenight club several years ago and falling totally in
tunes and played them when studying and foundlove with the touch of the keys and the exquisite
that I seemed to retain information a lot easier.sound it produced and I felt is came very near to
If there is one thing playing a musical instrumentthe quality sound of the Steinway grand piano
does it is to teach discipline and draw the mindthat my music teacher owned.
into focused concentration. It is when we areI love playing both instruments I currently own,
totally absorbed in a subject that we tend to driftthe clavinova with its weighted keys feels just like
into a meditative state and it is this state thatplaying a conventional acoustic piano, and
inhibits stress of all forms.whenever friends or family have a bit of a
I started learning to play the piano when I wasget-together at their homes, I take the PSR3000
around 7 years old. I remember listening to mykeyboards in the car and we have great fun.
older sisters practising and really wanting to bePlaying Helps Reduce Stress.
able to do the same. Fortunately for me myWe all have days when we feel stress; it is a part
parents recognised that I had a desire to play andof life. But music can be very restful to the mind
found me a music teacher and I was classicallyand can conjure up all sorts of peaceful images.
trained.Playing an instrument of your own will not only
However, you do not need to do it this way tohelp you relax, but can help build confidence and
gain the benefits of playing. Many of my friendsgive you that sense of achievement.
became self-taught much later in life, some afterLearning to play does take a little discipline and it
they had married and had children. One or twocan challenging at times - but everything worth
became very skilled and played at social functions.doing fits this description, so you have to be
So it is not necessary to become a concertdisciplined in order to master playing your
pianist to entertain self and others with yourinstrument. It is a good idea to set time aside
musical skills.each day to practice, practice and practice some
When I was about 14 years old, as well as playingmore.
the conventional piano, I took up playing theBut don't Forget the Fun!
electronic organ, which in those days was quite aPlaying music is great fun, and if piano is the
new concept here in the UK. With it's bass pedals,instrument that you fancy learning on a full-sized
rhythm section and different voices, it soundedkeyboard, consider the piano-clavinova or if you
more like a small band that a single instrumentjust want something to take around your family
and I remember being so awe-inspired by theand friends that takes up very little space and is
sounds I was producing. That was way back inlight to carry, the smaller digital keyboard is great
the 1960s and nowadays the technology is trulyfun.