What are the brain benefits of playing an instrument?

Music is considered among the most pleasurable elements in life. It releases dopamine in the brain as food does. Emotion, expression, social skills, theory of mind, language and mathematical skills, visuospatial and motor skills, attention, memory, executive functions, decision-making, autonomy, creativity, emotional and cognitive flexibility all come together simultaneously in the shared musical experience. People sing and dance together in all cultures. We know we do it today and will continue to do so in the future.

So today, in addition to "championing" a classical instrument in the classroom, we're going to walk through the brain benefits of learning to play an instrument. Unconsciously, the recorder is associated with music education in school, and, as we all know, it doesn't always receive positive feedback. It tends to be considered a second-rate instrument. Today we want to demystify this bad reputation and propose that we let ourselves be guided by the clichés about what really happens in the classroom.

Music is made up of three fundamental elements: rhythm, melody and harmony. All must be practised in the classroom. This is where teaching the recorder comes into play: to work on the melodic aspect, the recorder is the ideal instrument, as it allows one to focus on intonation. Moreover, being able to play different melodies in a very short time makes the teaching-learning process less time-consuming and at the same time very rewarding. It is a good start to get the cerebral benefits of an instrument. If it is also complemented with piano, violin, guitar... so much the better!

This process must be combined with voice work, which is different and just as important. For all this, it is necessary to prepare the teachers: they must know the basic aspects of interpretation in order to teach this process in a correct and guided way. Without a doubt, at O Castro International British School we have the best teachers to accompany the artistic and musical evolution of our students.

Spain is not a country with a great tradition of learning an instrument, as is the case in Austria or Holland. In this sense we are at a disadvantage. However, in our school O Castro British International School we offer a rich variety of classes for your children to learn to play an instrument, in a playful way, with the most innovative methods and above all with the firm belief that music brings with it multiple benefits.

In the words of Rafael Román Caballero, Researcher at the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Granada, to The Conversation "although we all enjoy music, only 1 in 10 Spaniards play an instrument". In our school this ratio is much higher, because of the tradition and importance we give to music, artistic expression and learning an instrument. It is worth remembering, as Román narrates, "it is understandable because of the amount of effort and years it takes to master the technique of one of them. It requires learning a new language and a new writing system, coordinating with precision an unknown repertoire of hand movements, synchronising with other people, and so on. And when one piece is finally mastered, there are always other works and techniques to learn. In fact, when asked why he was still practising the cello at the age of 90, the virtuoso Pau Casals replied "because I feel that I am improving". Therefore, learning to play an instrument is an intensive training that entails profound changes in the brain and mental capacities".

Give them an instrument and they'll perform better

Learning to play an instrument, researchers say, is an activity that children with better records and higher cognitive abilities choose more. So one limitation of studies comparing musicians with non-musicians is that they cannot distinguish whether the advantages they observe are a consequence of playing an instrument. What if the cognitive differences already existed before they started playing? Or what if coming from a more favourable environment is the real cause of the improvements?

A good way to solve this "which came first, the chicken or the egg?" dilemma is to investigate the effect of music when children are chosen at random, irrespective of their characteristics. When this is done, again music produces clear mental benefits.

The brain activation that music provokes in both children and adults produces important health benefits. Researchers have also found that music can improve sleep and memory, as well as relieve stress and stimulate thinking skills, all of which help us to maintain brain health over the years.

If you want to do something good for your brain, turn on the music player and sing along to some tunes. Even better, sing and dance at the same time.