Contrary to what most people believe, the pandemic isn’t something to be taken lightly. Sure, you can say you have more time now for games and other things you want to do at home, but you need to take certain things seriously, such as wearing masks. If the plague doctors did it, why can’t you?

People found that online games aren’t the only thing they have time for. There are those who found that they could express themselves through art. Some have even discovered that they had a little music teacher hiding within them. These new discoveries have opened up new ideas and new ways to cope. It’s little things like this that make the pandemic somewhat bearable.

Sometimes, making music can be as simple as tapping to the rhythm or clapping to the beat. Other times, it’s as complex as playing in a band or learning a stringed instrument. Here are some popular ideas on why music should not be silenced, especially during the pandemic.

Music Helps Boost Your Self-Esteem

Say what you want about being in a school marching band, but the musicians there seem to be so sure of themselves. Ever wondered why?

There’s something about music that just makes you feel like you’re on top of the world—bonus points if you’re also a music lover. Many people have said that it has helped them in one way or another. Some have attested that they’ve become more confident to finish school, while others say that it has even led them that ever-elusive soulmate.

Romance aside, music also makes it easier for people to find friends. There’s a saying that if you’re going to suck, then at least you’ll suck together. Then, practice until you don’t suck anymore.

Music Helps You Definitely Participate

It might not be obvious at first, but there’s a big aspect of music that helps you become a part of many activities, the least of which is making friends. There are studies that say people are natural participants when they listen to music—and this is true even as early as listening to music when they’re still in the womb.

Music also helps people become more learned. Remember when your parents told you about the first time you spoke when you were a baby?  Singing your ABCs and nursery rhymes almost always comes second. It has been observed in quite a lot of subjects that learning is always easiest when accompanied in some form by the music.

Music Helps You Relax

As much as learning music requires a lot of effort, music is also fun, and it becomes relaxing and enjoyable to listen to it. When you’re winding down after a hard day’s work, if you’re a music lover, you’ll likely look for a place that’s quiet—only to make some “noise” with music.

To concentrate on the calming and meditative aspect of music, all you have to do is to focus on a jazz musician or just anyone who loves their craft. They don’t seem to miss their beat and play the wrong chords even if they play with their eyes closed. That’s because music helps them keep calm and relaxed.

Music Keeps Your Brain Ticking

If you think music isn’t repetitive, think again. It’s all a mash of chords that go along well with each other and, as much as you try to make your music sound different, it will end up sounding just like something that people have heard before.

This keeps people thinking and their brains ticking. Music helps in a lot of areas—coordination, thought, and even creativity, among others. It’s one of the reasons why, as children, things are easier to learn. Aside from feeling relaxed from hearing music, the repetition of things helps you get into the groove to learn.

Music Helps You Connect

The most important aspect of music, perhaps, is the sense of belonging you find. Like what has been said earlier, sucking is bearable if you’ve got others sucking with you. The main thing is to improve from that and not improve at sucking, and it all just becomes clearer.

You can communicate ideas and feelings through music, and when someone responds to that, you’ve got yourselves a group. It’s one of the many magical things that happen when you learn to play music with others.

Music keeps you grounded and more in tune with who you are. It’s an enriching aspect of being human, and you continue to learn even as you play music to yourself. Again, it’s all right to not be good at playing. What is important is that it makes you feel good as you do it.