The Suprising Benefit Playing a Musical Instrument has on Brain Health [VIDEO]

 

When I was thirteen years old, I was in a severe car accident and became a Traumatic Brain Injury patient.

Soon after the accident, I found that I had trouble remembering things that I did during the day or people I had met. When I returned to school, I started to have trouble learning and my grades suffered (I had always done well in school before that).

Recent studies show that music has a directly beneficial impact on brain function and possibly overall health. I can personally attest to this finding better than most.

On the recommendation of one of my teachers, I saw a specialist at Yale New Haven Hospital who helped me rehabilitate. In conversation, I learned that he was a percussionist and shared that I was as well. Although he had theorized that playing an instrument could help with brain recovery, he didn't yet have the hard science to back that up. On his recommendation, I dove head first into music and percussion studies. As we progressed through therapy, he noticed my recovery was progressing far faster and more effectively than most of his patients.

Fast forward to today ... I am a successful Software Tester/Manager with almost 20 years of experience, and I still play drums in my band, Sweet Groovalicious Funk Machine. I have often thought during my career that my musical activity helped me recover from my brain injury. I also believe musical activity helps me every day in my job as a tester. Check out this great video which provides some concrete information as to why that just might be true...