December 2019
What’s on your teenager’s wish list this Christmas? Does your teen dream of being a rock star, a classical prodigy or a genius at jazz? There is strong evidence that learning to play a musical instrument brings a surprising array of benefits that can last a lifetime!
Teenage years can be an overwhelming time; choices to make, things to do and social media overload. But playing music can help remind you that you are not alone.
When a musician learns to read, play and perform music, they gain mental, cognitive and emotional health benefits that will have long lasting benefits. Learning to play is not only an investment in well-being but might be the start of an enjoyable hobby or successful career.
Research carried out by the University of British Columbia in Canada1 shows that pupils who learn to play music also perform better at school. In general, the more a student engages with music, the higher their exam results in key subjects such as maths, science and languages are likely to be compared to their peers.
Learning music involves developing pattern recognition, which is innately mathematical in itself. Learning about how music is divided into equal measures and beats, and how those beats are broken up, can help improve maths skills!
Reading music helps strengthen the ability to process information, creating new and strengthening existing synaptic connections in the brain. As a result, reading and absorbing information from other sources becomes a lot easier.
Especially during your teenage years, socialisation is hugely important. Music is a fun activity that can be shared with family and friends. Encourage your teen to invite their friends around for jam sessions; use our Silent technology and you and your neighbours (probably) won’t be disturbed.
Playing music is like a workout for every part of the brain, helping improve mental agility and memory performance. Playing an instrument also naturally leads to increased physical activity. Whether playing the piano, guitar, strings, or a wind instrument, you’re using your arm and back muscles to play and/or hold the instrument. And when you play the drums, you're also doing cardio! Using your fingers, hands, and feet in a rhythmic manner for a sustained amount of time, while also being conscious of playing the correct tones, can be a challenge for even the most coordinated people. Over time, playing music refines motor skills that go beyond normal hand-eye coordination.
For children and young people, playing an instrument is a rewarding way to limit stress and to find focus. Playing music puts energy and focus into positive activity, which can help alleviate stress. Improving your musical skills forces you to use all the parts of your brain involved in concentration, making you better able to concentrate in other life situations.
We asked two young Yamaha Music London Ambassadors to tell us about the important role that music plays in their lives...
“Music is my passion,” says Scott Folan, a 19 year old singer/songwriter and actor from North London, recently cast as the lead for Be More Chill, running at The Other Palace theatre. Scott has been playing the guitar since the age of three. “Playing music is freeing. There is nothing that makes me feel more 'me' and nothing that helps me to express how I feel more than singing a song that I’ve written myself.”
“Lots of people have been bullied at one point in their lives for standing out from the crowd. I was no exception, but my love for music helped me a lot through those school years. The ability to express my pain through song was really important for me as a young person.”
Scott describes his musical style as pop-folk, as he combines his love of modern music with his passion for storytelling. Scott continues: “I’ve had some amazing times with my music that have brought me such joy, but the most important one to me was the first night of my own gig that I curated and performed at. I set up the entire night and to stand there watching others perform and to perform myself at The Other Palace, a theatre in Victoria that meant so much to me as a young actor, was an absolute dream.
Scott’s advice is never to give up: “Just keep writing, keep playing and keep gigging. Whether you’re gigging to 6 people or 600 people, you perform like you’re at Wembley Stadium because those 6 people deserve your best. You also never know, one of those 6 people could own Universal music…"
Following his recent role as Matt in the Chichester Festival Theatre’s production of This Is My Family, Scott is looking to build on the success of his most recent single Kill For Your Love and release more music over the next few months. To hear Scott's music, search ‘Scott Folan’ in Apple Music, Spotify or any other music platform.
Mollie Collins, DJ, producer and Kiss FM radio presenter found that playing music helped her cope with a difficult time in her life. Mollie explains: “I never really knew what I wanted to do when I was younger. I left school early and didn’t take things seriously. I could have gone down the wrong path but as soon as I had my mind set on being a DJ and playing to crowds, everything changed. As I grew as a DJ I then wanted to play my own music out to the crowds I was performing to. Learning the piano was something I always wanted to do and I knew it would help improve my music production."
"I began learning to play the piano last year at the age of 22 and it helps me focus on something else which isn’t to do with my normal music career, which can be quite stressful at times.”
"I have had many high points during my career including presenting the Kiss FM Drum'n'Bass show and playing Glastonbury for the first time this year - but passing my Grade 1 piano exam was a memorable moment too!"
"I’m currently working towards Grade 2 and will take the exam early next year. I love playing my Yamaha digital piano and learning really is great fun.” Among Mollie’s career goals is to reach Grade 8 piano! In the meantime, with a new single out in January 2020 leading up to Mollie’s debut headline London show at the Camden Assembly on Friday 17 January, she is right on track for success!
We're offering one-to-one online music lessons with qualified music teachers on selected instruments purchased from Yamaha Music London online or instore before 24 December 2019. Enjoy lessons from the comfort of your own home!
From live performances from stars of top West End shows) to free personal shopper experiences, there's a lot going on instore at Yamaha Music London this Christmas. Click here for more information...
