Why Playing a Musical Instrument Benefits Your Brain

Dear Music Lover,

Hi… it’s Jason Sagebiel, of Sage Music…

All of you who know me, are also well aware that I’m passionate about the quality of life we live…

And most of all – I’m passionate about music, as we teach it here at Sage Music.

The majority of you have been briefed on the details on how we’re opening the doors at our exclusive school (which is the only music school in America that teaches the renowned Arpeggio® lesson system) to a few lucky new students…

And how due to the overwhelming response, are keeping the doors open for a little longer… But we’ll get back to that in a moment.

First…I am going to share some research with you that I recently stumbled across.

The findings are timely and very interesting to us music lovers, since they confirm my own research and personal experiences.

But most importantly, they confirm to all of us here at Sage Music and our students, that our scientifically structured Arpeggio™ lesson system is revolutionary…

And is on the verge of becoming the undisputed gold standard in musical training, all across the United States and abroad.

Yes, it is…

Take a look for yourself.

In fact, Sage Music and our Arpeggio™ teaching methods which are dynamic and holistic in nature… are changing the face of musical training.

But before I get ahead of myself…

As I was saying, a few days ago I stumbled across some fascinating research.

Here is what I found.

When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, this activity explodes… and becomes more like a full-body workout for your brain.  

Music researcher and educator, Anita Collins explained it like this.

“Fireworks go off in a musicians’ brain when you play”, and with this information in hand, examined some of the long-term positive effects this powerful mental workout has on a musician.

She discovered:

Every time musicians pick up their instruments there are fireworks going off inside their brain.

Although on the outside you may look calm and focused as you read the music and are making precise and practiced movements that are required, inside your brain, there’s a rocking party going on.

Well, in the last few decades neuroscientists have made enormous breakthroughs in understanding how our brains work by monitoring them in real time with instruments.

When people are hooked up to monitoring machines, researchers have the participants listen to music, where they witnessed that the brain of each participant produced mental fireworks.

In essence, multiple areas of their brains were lighting up at once.

In actual fact, the brain was processing the sound, and taking it apart in order to understand elements like melody and rhythm, and then…

Putting it all back together into a unified musical experience.

The fascinating part?

Our brains do all this work in a split second between when we first hear the music and when our foot starts to tap along.

However, when scientists turned from observing the brains of you the music listener to that of you the musician…

The little backyard display of fireworks firing off in your brain becomes a massive jubilee. It turns out that while listening to music engages the brain in some pretty interesting activities…

Playing music is the brain’s equivalent to a full body workout.

But what is it about making music that sets the brain alight?

Playing a musical instrument engages practically every area of the brain at once, especially the visual, auditory and motor cortices.

Much like any type of workout…

A regime of disciplined, structured practice in playing music strengthens those brain functions allowing us to apply that strength to other activities.

The most obvious difference between listening to music and playing it, is that the latter requires fine motor skills – which are controlled in both hemispheres of the brain.

Playing a musical instrument also combines the linguistic and mathematical precision in which the left hemisphere is more involved with the novel and creative content that the right excels in.

These are the reasons why playing music has been found to increase the volume and activity in the brain’s corpus callosum…

Which is the bridge between the two hemispheres of your brain– allowing messages to travel across your brain faster, using more diverse routes.  

This may allow musicians to solve problems in both academic and social settings, more effectively and with greater amounts of creativity.   

Because making music also involves crafting and understanding its emotional content and message, musicians…

Musicians often have higher levels of executive functions, which is a category of interlinked tasks that includes planning, strategizing, and attention to detail, which requires simultaneous analysis of both reasoning and emotional aspects.

This ability which is reflective of musicians – has a definite impact on how our memory systems work.

This begs a question.

Is it possible that people who go into music are already smarter than others to begin with?

Here is the bottom line:

I couldn’t agree more, because after I sustained a serious head injury while serving in Iraq…

I did what I had at other times in life when needing comfort… I picked up my guitar.

Although I had been robbed of my memory, I refused to quit or give up.

I loved music and I was also in love with playing my guitar and there was no way I was going to stop trying.

Long story short – I had to relearn how to play music…so I pushed forward and did.

I plugged away hour after hour and soon discovered that the more I strummed and played… the more my playing not only improved, but my fine motor skills did as well.

Anyone who plays the guitar knows full well, that if you can’t control the agility and the coordination of your fingers and hands, you cannot master the playing of a guitar.    

My music, and specifically my guitar, became my primary therapy tool.

With grit-your-teeth determination… I retaught myself the guitar, and in the process, regained proper hand and mind flow coordination… along with my musical abilities.

And as they say… Now you know the rest of the story.

But wait… there’s more….

As mentioned a moment ago…

So…

If you, or someone you know has a desire to fulfill a dream to:

• Play a musical instrument
• Gain entrance into a prestigious school of music
• Sing
• Read music
• Improve on your current level of skill or are a beginner
• Play or sing professionally…
• Or pursue your musical desire just for the fun of it…

Call Sage Music now @ (718) 361-2922

It will be the best decision you have ever made in regards to becoming the kind of musician you have always believed you can be… if only the right kind of training was available…. Now it is.

But before accepting a new enrollee, we like folks to experience and feel the warm, relaxing atmosphere that makes learning so exceptionally fun, exciting and worthwhile inside Sage Music.  

Invitations are being sent to a select few like yourself. We’re inviting you to visit us so you can feel the magic that makes the students at Sage Music so successful and satisfied.

You will get a close-up, personal tour of our school – and even get to look into and see how our acclaimed musical instructors achieve the amazing results they do with our students.

You will even have an opportunity to chat with our students and our instructors if you so wish. They will be more than happy to answer your questions.

Refreshments and snacks will also be served.

And if you take the tour… there is a special surprise waiting for you!

But remember… the doors are about to close on this opportunity.

Due to the exclusive nature of this event… Invitations are on a first-come – first-serve basis.

To experience the magic of Sage Music…call us now @ (718) 361-2922

Tell our operator you received a message from me:  Jason Sagebiel, and you would like to visit and take Jason up on his offer. At which time you will get all the details on the dates and times the doors will be open so you can come and visit with us.

Remember… Don’t wait…numbers are limited… call today. Unfortunately, after that it will be too late.

May all of your musical dreams come true.

MTNA Nationally Certified Teacher of Music
Founder, Sage Music

P.S. If you are looking to fulfill your dream of becoming an accomplished musician, you’re going to absolutely love taking the tour… because like so many others… you will see that Sage Music is exactly what you are looking for.  

Today you have an unprecedented opportunity to make it happen in a way that is easier than anything you can imagine. call now @ (718) 361-2922

Want us to call you?…

Give us your best email and number to call and we will be in touch in the order in which your information is received…Don’t delay…do it now