Learn to play a musical instrument as an adult!

Was your New Year's resolution about trying new things? Did you think playing an instrument was out of your age bracket? Well you can rejoice because it is never too late to dream a new dream! Here are 5 reasons why learning to play a musical instrument as an adult is the way towards a happier life:

Stress relief 

We often welcome the New Year with a positive attitude and we are smacked in the face by the reality of everyday life. Work stress, as well as general life stress, can often be paralysing and it makes us think there is no way out. However, learning something new is scientifically linked to stress relief as well as music, so give yourself a present this year and learn to play! 

Love bond 

Relationships are hard! And managing a work-life balance as well as a relationship is often the hardest part. Many experts agree that the way towards a happy and meaningful relationship is to share passions and new beginnings; music could be the way forward. With Valentine's day approaching why not get you and your partner a gift that keeps on giving? Learn how to play an instrument, let go of  your day's stressful thoughts and concentrate on learning together!

Active Mind

Sudoku is not the only way to keep your mind active and sharp. Music has been directly linked to concentration, mind sharpness and memory abilities making it an incredibly useful (and fun!) tool to keep your brain young. People often think that they cannot learn how to play an instrument as adults and give up before even trying! However many are missing the point, as learning as an adult is exactly what makes you young again.

Discipline  

As an adult, it is arguably easier to learn an instrument because you have more discipline and focus than many kids would have. This means that learning will be much faster because of the determination you would put into it and the experience of succeeding in other fields (characteristics a child doesn't always have). 

Passion

Nobody is making you do it! This means that you genuinely want to learn to play music and the only thing stopping you is fear; however, there is nothing to be scared about. Passion means that an adult would be potentially more determined than a child and would get a lot of benefits from learning and playing!

Still think it's too late to learn? Happy New Year and happy learning!

How Do I Choose Which Musical Instrument to Learn?

Learning to play a musical instrument will be one of the greatest things you could ever do for your mind, as well as for yourself. Regardless if you are a beginner, playing in a band, or are a skilled individual, the process is incredibly rewarding and a lot of fun!

If you're starting a clean slate and do not know what you want to play, it is good to know that anything is possible

Choosing a variety

The instrument that is a popular choice for beginners is the piano. This is mostly because it is really simple to see the music. It is also featured in many different cultures and styles of music, both piano and keyboard.

Piano variations you may be able to add to your skills include:

• Accordion
• Harpsichord
• Organ
• Synthesizer

Guitar can vary from classical to death metal, learning to play the guitar can open up many doors into different musical styles. The guitar is another popular choice amongst budding musicians and first-timers. Pinning down the basics of guitar can lead you onto other instruments to add to your six-string canon:

• Banjo
• Bass guitar
• Dulcimer
• Harp
• Mandolin

Mastering percussion is all about keeping the time of most music groups. In most bands, this will come in the form of a kit drum, whereas there are other combos which will feature widely in a variety of instrument that can be hit on with mallets, sticks or hands.

Other percussion instruments include:

• Bells and Cymbals
• Congas and Bongos
• Drum set
• Glockenspiel
• Timpani
• Vibraphone

Why it's never too late to learn a musical instrument

There is an art to learning to play an instrument; some would say it's passion, others may say dedication or discipline.

What has not been said is needing experience. This because it is never too late to begin playing a musical instrument, Whether you favour string instruments or brass, drums or piano, music lessons can be taken at any age.

There could be tons of reasons why you're starting lessons when you're starting; maybe when you were younger it wasn't the right time, you were too busy, or you couldn't find suitable music teacher. Either way, if you've wanted to learn to play guitar, you can do so today:

Easy beginnings - Guitar lessons begin fairly easy and within a few weeks, you should be able to play a couple of songs. The more practise means you can play more challenging pieces.

Fun - Learning to play an instrument can be extremely fun, but there is a lot of dedication that is needed. You will be expected to practise, but this will only lead to more fun when you begin to familiarise yourself with the instrument.

Experience - As we age, we gain a lot of life experiences which can lend themselves to our playing abilities and even songwriting. Through expression, you can play unique pieces that will impact others.

Socialising - Bringing up that you ar learning to play an instrument can be a great way to socialise. You can meet other learners, those with experience and take advice and tips from them.

Benefits wellbeing - Learning to play an instrument can actually uplift your spirits. We understand that different types of music can make us feel different emotions, so learning to play an instrument can only heighten those emotions and relieve stress and tension!

For further information about Progress Academy's music lessons in Birmingham, please visit our website!

Interest music facts

There is undoubtedly a mass of weird and wonderful facts about music and some we're going to share with you!

Did you know?

Listening to music during a work out measurable improves someone's physical performance.

A person does not essentially like an original version of a song because it is better; they like it because it was the version they heard first.

It is possible that one of your favourite songs is such because it is associated with an emotional event that occurred in your life.

There wasn't one member of The Beatles that could read music.

Heartbeat can mimic the music that you are listening to.

The inventor of the Telecaster and Stratocaster, Leo Fender, couldn't actually play guitar.

The much-loved Christmas carol Jingle Bells was initially written for the American holiday of Thanksgiving.

Loud music can influence a person to drink more in less time.

A song that is repeatedly playing in your head has a name: an earworm.

Listening to music triggers the dopamine chemical in our brains.

Anything more to add? Post them in the comments! Visit our website to view all of the academy's music lessons and more!

Half Term at Progress Academy

Progress Academy is opening its doors this half term for a week of music and fun.

You could have a chance to play on our Natal Drum Kit!

If you didn't know, every half term Progress Academy in the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter open its doors for children everywhere to come and use the equipment and produce videos using the instruments. We host song recordings and video production for them to watch and potentially take home.

It's a great opportunity for children to learn about musical instruments, music and develop their technical skills - no matter the experience, and most importantly have fun.

You can find Progress Academy at 35 Northampton Street in the Jewellery Quarter, B18 6DU.

For further information about Progress Academy and if you're interesting in developing your musical skills, please visit the website!

Musical Instrument Facts

Brass horn

The oldest brass instruments can be dated back to 500 BC, and have been found preserved in bogs across Scandinavia. The instruments were called lurs, essentially a long, elegantly curved brass trumpet and had been recovered in batches of two.

Lurs have been used for the crest of Lurpak butter.

The word remains in the Swedish language as something that broadcasts sound, hÖrlurar meaning headphones, along with a mobile phone frequently called a lur.

Stone horn

The precise use of an ancient bronze lur remains a mystery, however, according to the Icelandic sagas the lurs’ later wooden relatives (lurar) had been used for the gathering of troops and scare away the enemy. The Saxons did not require an instrument, they simply used a sizable stone.

The Blowing Stone, at Kingston Lisle, is a large sarsen boulder with a number of holes in it. Blowing into the correct hole creates a loud, penetrating note. Alfred the Great had used said stone to gather his troops prior to the battle of Ashdown.

Universal organ

Rewind to 2004 when astronomers at the University of Virginia measured background radiation from 400,000 years preceding the Big Bang and described the ‘music’ the universe made while it was being created.

“For the first 400,000 years it sounds like a scream declining to a dull roar,” explained Professor Mark Whittle. “And over the first million years the music of the cosmos changed from a bright major chord to a sombre minor one.”

Singing sand

Sand dunes can actually play a ‘tune’, or rather a loud, resonate note that can last for 15 minutes and heard from approximately 6 miles away.

Studies that have been conducted in the Sahara presented that the booms are caused by avalanches on the dunes, often occurring after rain, when the lower layers of a dune are still moist (sometime clumpy) and the top layers are dry. The falling sand makes vibrations in the same manner as the membrane of a loudspeaker.

Cello

An abbreviation of the correct name ‘violoncello’ – literal translation of ‘little big viola.

Cello would have been written with an apostrophe preceding it in the past.

Hard cases

Chicago gangsters wouldn’t have been partial to carrying around machine guns in violin cases. Rather they opted for a ‘hard case’ that resembled a musical instrument carrier. It would have been compartmentalised in order for it to hold various parts of the gun easily.

Harpo

Salvador Dalí, in the Christmas of 1936, sent Harpo Marx a harp that had barbed-wire strings to which Harpo sent back a photo of himself bearing his bandaged fingers.

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