A recent Canadian study documented in The Journal of Neuroscience reports, “Musical activities are an engaging form of cognitive brain training.” The study concluded, ” Researchers found that musicians’ brains were able to process speech better than those who were non-musicians. This, in turn, shows that learning a musical instrument could be important for ensuring better cognitive abilities and preventing decline later in life.”
Musicians jokes aside, This is very compelling information: playing music can keep our brains healthy and enhance our ability to communicate effectively!
Communicating is one of the three foundation principles that I integrate into all of my corporate and community drumming sessions and teaching.
I break the Communicating principle into two intertwined elements: a) listening to each other with open ears, open minds and open hearts, and b) developing the skills for expressing ourselves clearly and articulately with the intention of creating a free exchange of information and ideas. This holds true for both playing music and living Life!
Hey… this isn’t Rocket Science, or even just Neuroscience! This is a very simple principle that is an integral part of both playing a musical instrument, and of reinforcing positive Life Rhythms… patterns of attitude and action: We get good at the things we practice, so we want to make sure we are practicing the things we WANT to get good at!