New research has revealed that playing a musical instrument when you’re older can help to slow down the process of ageing, improving mental performance in areas such as abstract reasoning and memory.
The Sunday Post reported on the findings of research conducted by Heriot-Watt University, which found that musicians have mental processes that are up to 25 per cent faster than those who don’t play an instrument.
This was also true of those who only learned to play an instrument after retiring, suggesting that whatever age you pick up a guitar or ukulele there can be significant benefits beyond simply the pleasure of playing.
According to the report, there was a “significant between-group difference: musicians performed better than non-musicians”. This not only applied to memory and abstract reasoning, but also spacial reasoning and they performed better in an attention test.
This could be just the push you need to find ukulele lessons in Swindon to get you started as a musician, no matter what your age.
Last month, Classic FM noted that hip-hop star Lizzo has done wonders for the number of young people who want to learn an instrument. She is typically seen performing with her flute, which she has been playing since she was ten years old.
The news provider noted that beginner flute sales in the US have climbed by 30 per cent this year, which is largely attributed to Lizzo bringing the instrument to the attention of a new generation.
Lizzo has also spoken openly about the stigma attached to learning a musical instrument as a youngster, acknowledging that it causes some people to drop out of school bands and instead pursue other hobbies.