Have you always wanted to play an instrument, but were worried that it might be too late to learn? Let's change your perspective just a bit. True, you might not come out blazing with flawless execution of a Chopin étude, but there’s more to music making than just pleasing crowds. It’s good for your mind — and you want to do your mind good, right?
In the TED-Ed video above, Anita Collins, an educator whose research specialties bridge neuroscience and music education, explains exactly what’s going on with musicians (as opposed to a music listener), and how making music engages the brain like no other activity. If watching this won’t make you dust off the oboe hiding under your bed, we don’t know what will.