Listen Up Adult Learners! The benefits of music study are not only for the young.

“Want to hear a great song? Make [this year] the year you step away from the stereo and pick up a guitar, trumpet, or set of drumsticks, [how about piano]? In a recent nationwide Gallup poll, 85 percent of respondents said they wished they had learned to play a musical instrument in childhood, and 64 percent would be more likely to try now if they knew music lessons imparted health benefits. Here’s reason to tune up: Adults who study an instrument often come away with improved motor skills, auditory skills, and cognitive functions, says Meagan Curtis, Ph.D., an assistant psychology professor and a music cognition expert at the State University of New York at Purchase College. Your self-esteem might get a boost, too. Never mind that Mozart was tickling the ivories as a toddler; there’s no age limit on getting started. Although kids’ brains do tend to soak up music instruction more easily, education researchers have found that adult learners often compensate with greater self-motivation and sharper analytical abilities.”

-Better Health Column – Better Homes and Gardens, January 2012