Playing an instrument as a child can help hearing later in life

A recent study found that music lessons in childhood can help with your child’s hearing later in life.

 

Playing an instrument can also help keep the brain active in adulthood, and even though we usually associate deafness in the ears, the brain is important to ensure we hear clearly. If the brain processes sound more slowly, it can be more difficult, to say, hear clearly while chatting on the phone.

 

The study, conducted by Northwestern University in Illinois, measured brain activity in 44 healthy adults as they listened to the sound ‘da’, and found that the brain of those who put in at least four years of practice processed sounds faster than those who never learned an instrument.

 

So, while your little one may be hurting your ears with their drum practice or their noisy guitar strumming, just remember they are ensuring their own future hearing.