Music matters for some reason. It’s hard to explain how notes on a page can bring about such deep, pure emotions in us but they most certainly do. There are so few things in life that can make you feel the way that music makes you feel. So much so that people used to be scared of that sort of thing. (See the 1984 classic, Footloose)
One of the greatest ways that we humans can open our minds is by learning an instrument. Music is universally loved and opening yourself up to the possibility of picking up an instrument, and putting yourself into a song or a melody, can have lasting consequences.
Not everyone who loves to read is going to be able to write, and the same goes for music, but picking up a pen is the first step. Whether it’s a guitar, a piano, or any of a number of easily accessible instruments, finding out how truly gratifying it is to actually know and play a song can be a profound moment.
Going a step further, to pick up an instrument, learn it, and then begin to write your own songs can be a revelation for the casual musician. Sitting down at a piano to write a melody or picking up an acoustic guitar to strum chords touches a far deeper nerve than you could hope to experience with just a pair of headphones on.
Whether your band is playing in front of thousands of people in an arena or it’s you and three friends practicing in a living room, it doesn’t matter. Sure screaming fans help, but what’s real is happening between those four people, and there’s no faking that. Plus, the sound quality is probably far better in your living room.
You certainly don’t have to know how to play an instrument to experience most everything that music has to offer, but if you’ve always wanted to learn to play guitar or drums I implore you, DO IT! You’ll find no greater satisfaction in this world going beyond just listening to see what’s behind the curtain and touch what might’ve previously seemed untouchable.