I practice my drum kit every day. Not because I have dreams of becoming a rock star (well, I do have dreams of becoming a rock star) but because of the mental, physical, and spiritual benefits I receive. It is an essential discipline on my journey to become the best version of myself.
I founded Practicing Musician to bring the benefits of playing a musical instrument within reach of everyone, everywhere with a desire to learn.
To bring the power of music to as many people as possible, our service has been designed to be both effective and completely free. Private lessons are the most effective form of music education, so we deconstructed the private lesson process and designed our online service to deliver a private lesson experience to anyone, anywhere, at no cost. After years of development and real classroom use, our service has received accolades from K-12 teachers and at-home users.
Providing Practicing Musician as a tool for under-funded and struggling music programs has been a particular focus of ours. K-12 teachers consistently report better music proficiency among their students using Practicing Musician over those who do not.
What Are the Benefits of Playing a Musical Instrument?
Recent studies show a number of benefits of playing a musical instrument that are helpful to school students and adults seeking to maintain or improve mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Those benefits include:
- Cognitive
- Improved memory and working memory
- Better problem-solving and reasoning
- Heightened math and language skills
- Strengthened auditory, kinesthetic, and spatial intelligence
- Creative thinking and cognitive flexibility
- Protection against cognitive decline in older adults
- Physical
- Improved coordination and dexterity
- Health benefits from improved breathing
- Heightened senses
- Emotional
- Confidence from a sense of accomplishment
- Fear and anxiety management
- Mindset of excellence and good work ethic
- Emotional expression and regulation
Because these benefits are transferable to other areas of our lives, they are crucial to preparing both young people and adults for a society and economy increasingly dependent on skills associated with content creation and creative arts. These benefits can foster better grades and job performance for school students and adults alike.
It Is Never Too Late to Start
Older adults benefit from playing a musical instrument too. A 2024 University of Exeter study found that people who played musical instruments had significantly better working memory and executive function — and simply listening to music did not provide the same benefit. A 2026 Kyoto University study found that learning an instrument in your 70s can protect memory and preserve brain function, even for those just starting out.
The benefits of playing a musical instrument do not diminish with age — in fact, the research suggests they become even more important the older we get. It is never too late to begin.
Practicing Musician’s full library of 3,500+ video lessons across 15 instruments is completely free for students, teachers, and at-home learners of all ages. Experience the benefits for yourself.
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Sources:
Playing an Instrument Linked to Better Brain Health in Older Adults — University of Exeter / ScienceDaily, January 2024
Learning a Musical Instrument in Your 70s Could Help Protect Memory — Kyoto University / ScienceDaily, June 2026
Why Playing an Instrument Is Good for Your Brain and Body — ScienceInsights, March 2026
Exercising the Brain: Cognitive Benefits of Playing an Instrument — Baptist Health, February 2026
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