Imagine yourself in a breezy afternoon, finally done with household chores and schoolworks. Time to take a rest, yet your mind is still filled with anxiety and uneasiness. As you turn your head to the other side of the room, you see one magical instrument. You sat down and started playing. All of a sudden, a magnificent melody exudes the place, filling every corner with its splendid music.
That majestic sound comes from one of the most well-known instruments in the world, the Piano. This was first made by Italian harpsichord maker Bartolome Cristofori way back in the 1700s. Little did he know that his invention would make a noise worldwide and would have a huge impact on every generation, especially ours today.
Every day in this pandemic is undeniably exhausting. As we continue thriving, we sometimes tend to forget that we also need to focus on something that is more important than work and school, and that is our health.
To take care of your mental and physical health, you need to make habits that are good for your body and at the same time, can be applied in your set-up today. Playing the piano can be one of the options you can choose from.
According to Dave Smithson, operations director of Anxiety UK, a mental health charity, “We know that playing a musical instrument is a creative skill that can help people suffering with problems including depression, anxiety-based disorders, trauma and grief’. ‘The great thing is, playing the piano or doing any mindful activity that demands our attention, is not just a temporary fix. For many sufferers whose condition is receptive to it, it can bring long-term benefits – but only so long as they continue with the activity,’ he added. This hobby makes you get rid of negativities in your head by focusing on what’s present.
Also, piano playing makes you develop split concentration or what you call divided attention. Through this, you get to improve your concentration skills and multitasking ability by doing tons of things like playing using your two hands, reading sheet music, listening to the melody and working with pedals all at once.
You also get to undergo neuroplasticity. This is the ability of the brain to change form, specifically when stimulated by a physical activity. “Listening to and performing music reactivates areas of the brain associated with memory, reasoning, speech, emotion, and reward,” says Dr. Anne Fabiny, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women’s Health Watch. As time passes by, you’ll realize that music made improvements to a variety of your skills, just like memory and spatial learning.
You might be wondering how this skill benefits your physical health when all you need to do is tap keys, right? Regular piano playing provides several physical advantages such as it sharpens fine motor skills, improves dexterity and hand-eye coordination. In addition to that, Music itself is known to reduce respiratory rates, cardiac complications and lower blood pressure.
Overall, piano playing makes you see life in a better perspective. This tests your endurance and patience as a person. Life is wonderful even if it’s hard. Just like how the white and black keys synchronize and produce exceptional music. Take care of your physical and mental health by doing the things you love. Truly, magic is present in music.
By Denise Danielle De Chavez Moraga
