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Unlocking Creativity: The Link Between Music and Mental Health
Let’s talk about the last time you felt anxious, overwhelmed, or sad. Maybe you were grieving the end of a relationship or the loss of a pet. Maybe you were struggling with the change of seasons or shifting family dynamics. These experiences are tough, and it can be hard to cope.
Now let’s think about the tools you used to manage those emotions. Did music play even a small role in helping you feel better?
If it didn’t, it probably could have—because both listening to and playing music can offer comfort when talking alone can’t. Music soothes us when we’re stressed and instills hope when we’re depressed, restless, or simply interested in self-improvement. Piano learning apps could be a solid place to start.
We’ll talk about one of the best piano learning apps shortly. First, let’s discuss the link between music and mental health.
The Music-Mental Wellness Connection
The secret is out, and music can 100% help us regulate our emotions. Before we talk about what that looks like, consider Merriam-Webster’s definition of music:
a: vocal, instrumental, or mechanical sounds having rhythm, melody, or harmony
b: the science or art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity
The verdict is in, and by definition, music is both an art and a science. It also promotes unity and has a soothing effect on the body. This is because music reaches deep into the endocrine system, which produces the hormones that impact how we feel. So when we play or listen to music, the body triggers the release of dopamine—the feel-good hormone responsible for pleasure and reward.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been this good at reading music. It never made sense to me before.” – Arjuna C., MuseFlow (a piano learning app) student
At the same time, music lowers cortisol, the stress hormone, making us feel calmer and more at ease. It can even improve our immune health by increasing levels of an important antibody, salivary immunoglobulin A, which offers protection from illness. And another study found that playing or listening to music at 60 beats per minute can induce a state of relaxation by driving alpha wave activity. (Alpha waves are associated with wakeful relaxation, which helps the brain unwind and fuels mental clarity.)
It’s no wonder that in therapeutic settings, experts use music to help clients process their emotions. Techniques like guided listening and music improvisation allow people to access their feelings and memories in ways that might be difficult to articulate verbally. From where we’re standing, it makes total sense that 71% of surveyed adults cited music as the greatest influence on their mood. After all, creativity makes us feel good.
How Creativity Blooms Through Playing Music
Listening to music is powerful—but playing music can have an even greater impact. Learning to play an instrument like the piano is a solid way to get your creative juices flowing. You see, learning new things that are right outside your skill level challenge the brain to think in new ways: finding patterns, making connections, and ultimately achieving a flow state. This helps us break free from linear thinking and fully embrace creative problem-solving.
“Let’s go!! Kept myself in the flow state by first dropping the tempo so it wouldn’t be too frustrating, then got comfortable, then before it became too easy to the point of boring I reattempted it at goal tempo and I passed. What a rush of dopamine from completing the level that initially I couldn’t do!!” – Kyle L., MuseFlow student
From a neuroscience standpoint, learning an instrument like the piano activates several areas of the brain all at once. AI piano teaching apps like MuseFlow, for instance, engage the prefrontal cortex—responsible for planning and decision-making—along with the motor cortex and auditory system. This helps improve emotional regulation and unlocks creativity.
Fortunately, platforms like MuseFlow are making it easier than ever to learn the piano and unlock your full creative potential. Regardless of your skill level, piano training apps will give you space to clear your mind and grow creatively.
Music and Well-Being—Where Does Technology Come In?
Thanks to technology, engaging with music has never been more accessible—or more innovative. Piano practice apps like MuseFlow, recognized as one of the best piano apps of 2024, are transforming how we learn and experience music. These tools let people explore their creativity in ways that traditional methods might not.
For instance, piano lesson apps can guide students step-by-step through learning an instrument, complete with personalized feedback and positive encouragement. This real-time interaction builds confidence and creativity. Then, when. you’ve mastered a skill within this game-like environment, you can apply those skills to songs that get unlocked after you pass each level. not to mention, this approach also supports each user’s mental wellness.
“Any success I achieve is its own reward. Just having moved to the next higher level, I feel good and surprised that it went so quickly. That’s a plus!” – Dennis L., MuseFlow student
And technologies like interactive piano lesson apps break down barriers to access too. With MuseFlow’s intuitive design and seamless user experience, anyone can start learning the piano from the comfort of their home—completely at their own pace. Together, music and technology are making creativity and well-being more accessible than ever.
So why not take the first step toward a healthier, more creative life? Start your seven-day free trial today and learn the piano through personalized sight reading with MuseFlow. You’ll also tap into the creative and therapeutic benefits of music.
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The Benefits of Learning an Instrument: How Music Can Enhance Your Life
Learning an instrument has long been celebrated as a way of engaging your mind and body in creativity, and can be cognitively stimulating. Whether you're picking up any common instrument, or something off the wall like a didgeridoo or flugelhorn, playing music offers a wealth of benefits that extend beyond simply mastering a new skill. In fact… numerous studies and testimonials show that learning an instrument can enhance your life in ways you might not expect. As technology evolves faster than ever, new ways of learning, like AI-driven music tools, are making it easier, more fun, and more accessible than ever before. Here are just a few key benefits of learning an instrument, and some of the ways it can positively impact your life.
1. Music, Cognitive Development, and Brain Health
Learning an instrument is a full body workout for your brain… Studies have shown that musicians have better memory, coordination, and even language skills compared to people who don’t play an instrument. When you practice, you’re not only learning rhythms and pitches; you're engaging the parts of the brain responsible for motor skills, auditory processing, and even emotional regulation. According to some very thorough research in the Journal of Neuroscience, playing music over the course of your life can even slow the cognitive decline associated with aging. In our modern world where mental acuity is more valuable than ever as we age, learning an instrument is like a secret weapon for our long-term brain health.
2. Improved Focus, and Discipline
One of the greatest challenges of learning an instrument is the discipline it requires with traditional lessons and curricula; progress can be slow at first, and it’s easy to get frustrated. There are AI piano apps out there that are gamifying the learning process to make it more fun and engaging… nonetheless, even within apps that make the learning process more like a game and less like work, by sticking with regular practice of any skill-building activity, you develop patience and perseverance. These skills carry over into other areas of life, such as your work and personal goals such as fitness and health. Focused practice of any singular activity demands concentration and attention to detail, making you more adept at persevering through and completing complex tasks in your day-to-day life. Over time, the discipline you develop through consistent practice of any instrument translates into improved productivity and time management throughout the rest of your life.
3. Emotional Expression, and Stress Relief
Music is a universal language. Everyone knows what a sorrowful melody sounds like… everyone knows what a happy melody sounds like. Music is one of those things that can translate emotions between cultures. The reason for this is because playing an instrument allows you to express emotions that words often cannot. Whether you are feeling joy, sadness, frustration, or excitement, the act of making music can help you process and exercise these emotions. A study published in the National Library of Medicine show that playing an instrument can significantly lower stress levels and decrease anxiety, providing a natural outlet for emotional release. Another National Library of Medicine states that the process of playing can meditative and flow inducing, allowing you to focus solely on the sounds you’re producing and the rhythms you are playing, which can be incredibly soothing after a long day.
4. Enhanced Social Connections, and Bridging the Gap
Music has a unique way of bringing people together, crossing cultural borders, and bridging the gap between species even. Whether you’re jamming with friends, performing in front of an audience, playing to field of cows, or simply sharing your progress with family, learning an instrument and then performing said instrument offers numerous opportunities for social interaction and connection. Have you ever felt that feeling of someone just “getting” you? Musicians feel that too sometimes with people they’ve never even talked with! Sometimes musicians just get each other… and this sense of community and belonging fosters stronger relationships and deeper connections with people that may not have the same background as you. If you join a band, orchestra, choir, or even an online community of learners, you’ll find yourself engaging with diverse individuals who share the same passion as you. In today’s increasingly isolated digital age, learning an instrument can help bridge the gap and foster meaningful human connections.
5. Increased Creativity, and Problem-Solving Skills
Playing music naturally and effortlessly sparks creativity. As you progress, you may start to experiment with improvisation, composition, or playing different genres like African Tribal Music, or Zeuhl. This creative process enhances your ability to think outside the box and think of problems from different angles. Problem-solving is a crucial skill in many areas of life, from home improvement tasks to relationship maintenance and satisfaction… and the creativity you nurture through learning and playing an instrument sharpens this ability. Whether you're troubleshooting and practicing a tricky passage of music, or improvising a melody over a chord progression, you’re flexing creative muscles that are applicable to all areas of life.
6. Physical Benefits: Coordination, and Motor Skills
Playing an instrument requires both fine and gross motor skills, depending on the instrument. For instance, playing the piano requires precise finger movements at very specific times, and, if you’re reading off of music, chord charts, or the like, hand-eye coordination. This specific type of physical engagement helps improve your dexterity and twitch muscle reaction time. Over time, and through intentional practice, these movements become more fluid and natural… contributing to better hand-eye coordination, and even spatial awareness. For younger learners, developing these types of motor skills early on has lasting benefits that extend into other physical activities, including sports.
7. Achieving Flow State Through Music
One of the most rewarding aspects of learning an instrument is ones achievement of a "flow state." This is the feeling of being fully immersed and focused on an activity to the point that everything else fades away. In this mental state, time seems to fly by, and you perform at your best with minimal pain and discomfort; if failure occurs, it just rolls of your fingers! Music is one of the best ways to achieve this state because it requires a balance between skill and challenge. Once you find yourself playing a piece with ease, and start exploring why you’re playing a song the way you are - what dynamics are you using, how slow or how fast are you playing the song and why, what do you want to say by playing this song - you'll experience a deep sense of satisfaction that can enhance your overall well-being. This is where communication and flow state meet; what do you want to say and how are you saying it.
Conclusion: The Power of Music in a Modern Age
With all the benefits of learning to play an instrument, it’s no wonder that more people are turning to music learning to enrich their lives. Whether it's improving cognitive function, relieving stress, or fostering social connections, playing music has a profound impact on both the mind, body, and spirit.
In the modern age, tools like AI-driven music learning apps are making this process of learning an instrument more accessible, effective, and gratifying than ever. Platforms like MuseFlow are revolutionizing how we learn piano by integrating AI piano lessons that adapt to your skill level, helping you achieve musical fluency faster and more enjoyably. Whether you're looking for the best piano learning app or a Yousician alternative, MuseFlow, and similar tools, are transforming the landscape of music education for the better.
By learning an instrument, you're not only mastering a skill, but you are enhancing your life in ways that extend well beyond music itself. So, why not start today? With the power of AI and personalized learning tools, there’s never been a better time to unlock your musical potential and experience the life-changing benefits of music :).
Help Them “Get It”: Teach Your Students to Love Music and Be Better Musicians Using Flow State
This one goes out to all of the music teachers out there!
You love your instrument. It takes a music lover to teach music, after all. You know that your students could love their instrument, too, if they gave it a chance – but it takes a lot of frustration and work to get there.
The truth is, playing an instrument is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling things a person can learn to do, precisely because it is hard. Your mind, muscles, and senses are all completely occupied, and when the practice begins to pay off, you can tell! The hours spent spinning melodies, rhythms, and chord progressions out of raw skill are golden. You know that. Your fellow musicians know that.
Making a young student understand is a different story.
Today, we’re going to talk about how sight-reading helps even beginner students feel fulfilled by music, and how engaging in flow state can make sight-reading fun and rewarding.
Sight Reading makes for Better Musicianship
Strong sight reading skills make it easier to really sink into a piece of music. Sight reading is more than just a way of learning new music – it makes it easier to truly understand the music we are working with. Reading and understanding means more fluent playing, a better grasp of music theory, and better composition. Knowing how to write and read music makes it much easier to live in a whole world of musical experience.
A study by Katie Zhuko, “Exploring advanced piano students’ approaches to sight-reading,” explored the level of skill that different pianists have. All musicians in the study said that sight-reading skills were very important. Even pianists who were able to attain a high level of mastery without sight-reading agreed.
Early students often struggle to stay motivated, and will quickly drop their instruments because they lack rewarding music to play and practice. Sight reading lets beginners practice plenty of fun music in the same way early readers get to choose from countless fun books. Sight reading is difficult, though, and many musicians never become fluent. Traditional teaching methods only make it harder to practice sight reading: you are taught a skill, assigned a song to practice, and then repeat that song dozens of times, until you are playing only from memory and never want to see sheet music again. In other words, sight reading is a vital skill that motivates beginners, but we handicap it from the very beginning.
Flow State: Falling in Love with Music
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi was the groundbreaking psychologist behind 'Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.’ Flow state is a state of total focus and concentration. It is often associated with working on a challenging but doable task. When your skills are being pushed to their limit but no further, the result is a ‘goldilocks zone’ where challenge is met with immediate reward. You become immersed: the whole world narrows into one task, which completely sucks you in.
Flow state is very familiar to musicians. Social events such as jam sessions and concerts make us feel “in the moment,” the music running through us, totally one with our fellow musicians and the song in the air. Even when we play alone, a difficult and rewarding piece feels totally immersive. Intermediate and advanced musicians will experience flow state in ensembles, performances, and even while sight-reading new music.
While experienced musicians are familiar with flow state, we don’t expect it in beginner musicians. A study by Arvid J. Bloom and Paula Skutnick-Henley found that a flow state comes from self-confidence and emotional expression. When do you think a new musician feels self-confident? With traditional teaching methods, every time a student learns a new skill, the teacher will give them a song which starts out feeling frustrating and difficult. Their job is then to go home, sit down at the piano or pick up the guitar, and play it until it is easy. This means hours of tediously plinking out the same noises without the opportunity to really sink in and enjoy the moment. As a teacher, you know that the reward for practicing will far outstrip the frustration – but getting there takes endurance, and not everyone manages it.
One of the best gifts you can give your students is the experience of flow state. It makes learning more fun and effective. It reduces the risk of drop-out. Even better, flow state opens a window to what being a musician is really like. It lets a nervous novice experience musicianship the way you experience it.
Museflow: Bring Flow State to Sight Reading
MuseFlow is designed to help beginner musicians feel more confident. It teaches fundamental concepts like chords, meter, and harmony one at a time in bite-sized chunks. All of the lessons are personalized and machine-generated, so the student gets to learn with new and doable music in every single lesson. Then, they can apply those skills to a new piece of music and immediately feel like they “get it.” They get to focus on learning skills, not just memorize songs – and that means that playing songs gets to be fun again.
Curious about whether MuseFlow is right for your students? Visit www.museflow.ai to find out more. With a MIDI keyboard and a computer, you can try out the beta version at www.beta.museflow.ai. We can’t wait to hear your feedback as we make musicianship available to all students!
