Everyone should learn to play a musical instrument

Neil​ ​Armstrong,​ ​the​ ​first​ ​man​ ​on​ ​the​ ​moon,​ ​Charles​ ​Dickson,​ ​the​ ​author​ ​of​ ​a​ ​Christmas Carol,​ ​Bernie​ ​Williams,​ ​a​ ​major​ ​league​ ​baseball​ ​player,​ ​and​ ​Albert​ ​Einstein.​ ​All​ ​very​ ​successful people,​ ​but​ ​they​ ​also​ ​have​ ​one​ ​more​ ​thing​ ​in​ ​common,​ ​they​ ​all​ ​play​ ​or​ ​played​ ​an​ ​instrument.​ ​Neil Armstrong​ ​played​ ​Baritone,​ ​Charles​ ​Dickson​ ​played​ accordion,​ ​Einstein​ ​played​ ​both​ ​violin​ ​and piano,​ ​Bernie​ ​Williams​ ​not​ ​only​ ​plays​ ​guitar​ ​but​ ​also​ ​composes​ ​music.​ ​None​ ​of​ ​these​ ​people​ ​are known​ ​for​ ​being​ ​musicians​ ​but​ ​are​ ​all​ ​extremely​ ​successful​ ​in​ ​their​ ​respective​ ​fields. I​ ​have​ ​been​ ​playing​ ​trumpet​ ​for​ ​five​ ​years​ ​and​ ​baritone​ ​for​ ​three.​ ​I​ ​also​ ​had​ ​two​ ​aunts​ ​and a​ ​cousin​ ​that​ ​are​ ​music​ ​teachers.​ ​Music​ ​has​ ​been​ ​in​ ​my​ ​life​ ​since​ ​I​ ​was​ ​born,​ ​my​ ​grandfather being​ ​self-taught​ ​on​ ​drums​ ​and​ ​guitar​ ​both​ ​and​ ​always​ ​played​ ​for​ ​my​ ​sisters​ ​and​ ​me​ ​when​ ​we​ ​were young.

People​ ​generally​ ​like​ ​choice,​ ​which​ ​causes​ ​problems​ ​when​ ​parents​ ​try​ ​to​ ​make​ ​them​ ​for​ ​a child​ ​without​ ​consulting​ ​them.​ ​It​ ​is​ ​common​ ​for​ ​parents​ ​to​ ​sign​ ​their​ ​child​ ​up​ ​for​ ​piano​ ​courses without​ ​much​ ​choice,​ ​even​ ​with​ ​the​ ​best​ ​intentions​ ​this​ ​either​ ​lead​ ​to​ ​them​ ​loving​ ​it​ ​or​ ​hating playing​ ​any​ ​instrument​ ​at​ ​all.​ ​When​ ​not​ ​given​ ​a​ ​choice​ ​of​ ​what​ ​to​ ​play,​ ​it​ ​makes​ ​sense​ ​that​ ​some people​ ​would​ ​resent​ ​it.​ ​It​ ​is​ ​a​ ​shame​ ​because​ ​one​ ​decision​ ​made​ ​for​ ​them​ ​when​ ​a​ ​person​ ​is​ ​young leaves​ ​them​ ​wary​ ​to​ ​try​ ​anything​ ​related​ ​to​ ​it​ ​at​ ​all.​ ​Music​ ​can​ ​be​ ​daunting,​ ​what​ ​we​ ​see​ ​and​ ​hear on​ ​the​ ​radio​ ​or​ ​in​ ​videos​ ​takes​ ​year​ ​and​ ​years​ ​of​ ​practice,​ ​so​ ​just​ ​someone​ ​just​ ​starting​ ​to​ ​play​ ​can get​ ​discouraged​ ​fast.​ ​Life​ ​is​ ​busy​ ​and​ ​it's​ ​hard​ ​to​ ​put​ ​in​ ​the​ ​time​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​something​ ​that​ ​is​ ​not necessarily​ ​required.​ ​The​ ​work​ ​required​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​an​ ​instrument​ ​is​ ​huge​ ​and​ ​extra​ ​work​ ​is​ ​not exactly​ ​a​ ​strong​ ​motivator.​ ​And​ ​then​ ​there​ ​is​ ​what​ ​instrument​ ​to​ ​choose,​ ​not​ ​all​ ​instruments​ ​are created​ ​equal​ ​and​ ​not​ ​every​ ​person​ ​is​ ​going​ ​to​ ​do​ ​well​ ​on​ ​the​ ​same​ ​one​ ​as​ ​the​ ​person​ ​next​ ​to them.​ ​A​ ​person​ ​with​ ​weak​ ​lungs​ ​will​ ​not​ ​do​ ​well​ ​on​ ​a​ ​woodwind​ ​or​ ​brass​ ​instrument.​ ​Not​ ​every instrument​ ​is​ ​seen​ ​as​ ​“cool”​ ​either,​ ​I​ ​can​ ​not​ ​bring​ ​my​ ​baritone​ ​to​ ​a​ ​campfire​ ​without​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​funny looks​ ​like​ ​you​ ​can​ ​with​ ​a​ ​guitar.

Playing​ ​an​ ​instrument​ ​is​ ​not​ ​easy,​ ​it​ ​may​ ​not​ ​even​ ​seem​ ​possible​ ​at​ ​first.​ ​All​ ​the​ ​extra​ ​work, choices​ ​and​ ​challenges​ ​aside,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​possible​ ​and​ ​rewarding.

On​ ​the​ ​topic​ ​of​ ​choosing​ ​your​ ​instrument​ ​yourself​ ​or​ ​being​ ​put​ ​in​ ​classes.​ ​At​ ​this​ ​point​ ​in our​ ​lives, ​we​ ​should​ ​be​ ​allowed​ ​to​ ​make​ ​own​ ​decisions.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​quit​ ​early​ ​music​ ​classes​ ​with​ ​a raging​ ​hatred​ ​for​ ​anything​ ​that​ ​plays​ ​a​ ​note,​ ​try​ ​again.​ ​Try​ ​again​ ​on​ ​an​ ​instrument​ ​you​ ​choose. Instruments​ ​can​ ​be​ ​rented​ ​if​ ​the​ ​price​ ​is​ ​too​ ​high​ ​and​ ​the​ ​choice​ ​of​ ​instruments​ ​are​ ​infinite.​ ​The time​ ​required​ ​is​ ​intimidating​ ​but​ ​how​ ​often​ ​and​ ​how​ ​long​ ​to​ ​practice​ ​is​ ​up​ ​to​ ​the​ ​person​ ​playing. Video​ ​lessons​ ​are​ ​easy​ ​to​ ​find​ ​on​ ​Youtube​ ​that​ ​can​ ​be​ ​watched​ ​at​ ​the​ ​person's​ ​own​ ​pace.​ ​Playing an​ ​instrument​ ​is​ ​usually​ ​thought​ ​to​ ​lead​ ​to​ ​performing.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​unfortunate​ ​and​ ​untrue.​ ​Playing​ ​and performing​ ​are​ ​completely​ ​different. Once​ ​you​ ​get​ ​your​ ​instrument,​ ​put​ ​all​ ​the​ ​work​ ​in,​ ​and​ ​finally​ ​get​ ​comfortable​ ​with​ ​it​ ​there are​ ​numerous​ ​benefits.

Michael​ ​Matthews,​ ​who​ ​used​ ​to​ ​play​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Florida​ ​Symphony​ ​Youth​ ​Orchestra​ ​and teaches​ ​private​ ​music​ ​lessons​ ​wrote​ ​an​ ​article​ ​called​ ​“18​ ​benefits​ ​of​ ​playing​ ​a​ ​musical​ ​instrument” some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​benefits​ ​listed​ ​are​ ​”Refines​ ​Time​ ​management​ ​and​ ​organizational​ ​skills”,”Teaches Perseverance”​ ​“Increases​ ​responsibility”,​ ​“Sharpens​ ​concentration”,​ ​“Enhances Coordination”,”Creates​ ​Sense​ ​of​ ​achievement”​ ​etc.​ ​It​ ​would​ ​be​ ​hard​ ​to​ ​find​ ​another​ ​single​ ​activity that​ ​teaches​ ​all​ ​these​ ​lessons​ ​and​ ​more.​ ​Perseverance,​ ​responsibility,​ ​Time​ ​management, organization,​ ​Coordination,​ ​and​ ​achievement.​ ​This​ ​trait​ ​help​ ​with​ ​school,​ ​getting​ ​jobs,​ ​getting​ ​into university​ ​or​ ​college​ ​and​ ​in​ ​everyday​ ​life.

The​ ​benefits​ ​of​ ​learning​ ​a​ ​musical​ ​instrument​ ​greatly​ ​outweigh​ ​the​ ​challenges.​ ​A​ ​little​ ​effort goes​ ​a​ ​long​ ​way​ ​and​ ​helps​ ​in​ ​every​ ​aspect​ ​of​ ​life.​ ​Learning​ ​something​ ​new​ ​is​ ​always​ ​difficult​ ​but​ ​the hard​ ​work​ ​is​ ​worth​ ​everything​ ​gained.​ ​​ ​Give​ ​playing​ ​an​ ​instrument​ ​a​ ​try,​ ​if​ ​you​ ​do​ ​not​ ​like​ ​it​ ​there​ ​is always​ ​hundreds of ​more​ ​options.​ ​Give​ ​it​ ​a​ ​try,​ ​thank​ ​you.