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We recently ran a post on the benefits of enrolling your child in music classes; however, we strongly feel that the benefits aren’t expressly for children. In fact, the older you are, the more beneficial playing music can be.

Let’s make a distinction, first, between playing music and practicing music. When we mention playing music, we’re referring to the act of making music for enjoyment purposes. Practicing implies that one is going to sit down and perfect techniques and master his or her instrument. Unless you plan on becoming a professional musician, this path is most likely going to be the least enjoyable.

The has funded a lot of that has yielded some surprising scientific results. One sponsored study, carried out by the , showed that keyboard lessons in groups of senior citizens yielded an increase in Human Growth Hormones (HgH). Concurrently, their propensity for anxiety, depression and loneliness had dropped, while control groups remained the same.

Research by has led to an interesting scientific discovery; apparently, playing music for enjoyment has physical effects all the way down to the molecular level. When stressed, our brains flip a “switch” in each of our cells that release hormones to deal with stress. Overtime, these can be stuck in the “on” position, leading to burnout, anger, depression and a host of other physical ailments. Playing an instrument tends to reset these switches, allowing us to relax.

Barry Bittman, MD, CEO and medical director of Meadville Medical Center’s Mind-Body Wellness Center, in Meadville, Pa. says that one should think of making music not as an end product, rather as a tool for health and well-being.

If you haven’t played music before, and would like to learn how, we recommend you enroll in a couple months of lessons to understand the basic principles of playing music. After gaining an initial understanding, you can begin to make music for your own health and enjoyment. If you are in the Fairfield County, CT area, here are a few where you can get .

Stay tuned for our next update, when we discuss the correlations of music and athletics. The results will surprise you.