More great news for those who listen to music, and even better news for those who make it!
This article points out several health benefits of music, some of which are increased or only available if you’re making the music. Here’s a particularly interesting nugget:
Researchers in Finland have demonstrated that listening to music for several hours a day can enhance the rehabilitation of stroke patients.
In another study, stroke patients who were taught to play the piano or drums made speedier progress in their general recovery than patients who received only traditional therapy.
Think how much shorter their recovery times would have been if they hadn’t had to carry their piano or drums to lessons and rehearsals. 
Seriously though, singing or playing music wasn’t an activity that most of these folks sought out as we have; it was something that was offered or suggested to them. And while it’s likely that some of them have come to love their music, I wonder how much more benefit it provides to someone who already plays and has established a deep connection with the music they are making?
We always knew music was good for the “whole person”, but more and more, we see measurable benefits in the physical body…and especially the brain. To paraphrase a line from an old musical, it really doesn’t change anything…but it’s nice to know.
Please share your thoughts in a comment! And in the meantime, go break out your instrument of choice and form some new neural pathways. Your brain will thank you for it.
Keep playing,
Mark
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I ran across this article and wanted to share it. For PTMs who are expecting or have little ones, this reinforces what many of us have known for years: music soothes even the very youngest of us.
While these studies rarely offer the “final word”, I encourage you to continue making beautiful music – for your health and that of your family. All the best in your musical pursuits!
Kathy
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I can’t help it – when I see an article like this, I just have to pass it along. Today’s healthy morsel is entitled Music therapy helps keep mind and body in tune, and it reaffirms everything we know about music if we’ve been playing long at all: it’s good for you, body and soul!
A couple of notes here. First, the article speaks of listening to music…although that doesn’t exclude musicians who play and listen, of course. Second, it doesn’t just address relaxation as many “music and health” studies do; it accurately points out that music can be a “pepper-upper” just as effectively as it can soothe jagged nerves. Is there anything music can’t do when properly prescribed?
This article corresponds with the recent post Music: good for your health!. For more articles about the positive effects of music on health, please visit our Music and Health section.
Keep playing!
Mark
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Tags: mind and body, Music and Health, music and longevity, music and your heart, music for mind and body, music fountain of youth, music is therapeutic, music therapy, music to live longer, music to relax, positive health effects of music
Music and Health, News | Mark May 15, 2009 | 
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Today’s news included an interesting article entitled The power of music: It’s a real heart opener. While many people know how relaxing it can be to listen to “good music” – the definition of which changes from person to person, and even with each person’s mood at the time – we part-time musicians also know how calming and therapeutic it can be to sit down and play good music.
Running through some pieces at the end of a tough day can really improve a person’s outlook; it can also work on a much greater scale. After a recent surgery, I found a great deal of diversion in practicing guitar and trying to learn viola (many thanks to my family for their patience during the viola practice, BTW). The music, bad though it was at times, helped me focus upon something other than my day-to-day progress and how I wished it were faster!
One practicing tip that helps foster those good feelings: whether you’re “on” or “off” in your practice session, end with something fun. Yes, you’re allowed to have fun; that’s why they call it playing an instrument and not working it! Ending with something rewarding makes the entire session, whether five minutes or two hours, just feel good. And that’s why we play, isn’t it?
If you have anything you’d like to add or a personal experience to share, please do so by posting a comment or dropping us a line. In the meantime, keep playing!
Mark
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