The Benefits of Learning a Musical Instrument 學習樂器的好處

Its difficult not to admire the talent of a skilled musician. Whether it be a pianist， flautist or cellist， these individuals have shown dedication and passion over a long period of time to reach the highest levels of performance. But they say its never too late to learn. So what are the benefits， for both children and adults， of learning a musical instrument？

很難不佩服一位技藝高超的音樂家的才華。無論是鋼琴家、長笛手還是大提琴手，這些人在很長一段時間內都表現出了奉獻精神和激情，以達到最高的表演水平。但他們說學習永遠不晚。那么，學習一門樂器對孩子和成人都有什么好處呢？

Learning to play a musical instrument when growing up can improve hearing in adulthood. According to a study by Dr Nina Kraus， Professor of Neurobiology at Northwestern University in Illinois， US， children who played musical instruments were better at recognizing different frequencies. This improved hearing skill carried over into later life with adults who had once played an instrument able to discern sounds of different pitches more easily. And it could also have some academic benefits too. A study conducted by the University of British Columbia found that students who engaged in music-related activities during Grades 7—12 scored significantly higher in science， English and maths.

在成長階段學習一門樂器可以提高成年后的聽力。根據美國伊利諾伊州西北大學神經生物學教授尼娜·克勞斯博士的一項研究，演奏樂器的孩子更善于識別不同的頻率。這種提高的聽力技能一直延續到后來的生活中，那些曾經演奏過樂器的成年人能夠更容易地分辨不同音高的聲音。它也可能有一些學業上的好處。不列顛哥倫比亞大學進行的一項研究發現，在7—12年級期間參加音樂相關活動的學生在科學、英語和數學方面的得分明顯更高。

And there are not just benefits to children. Whether you choose to play the piano， strum a guitar or learn a drumbeat， you could end up joining a band or orchestra. This in turn could improve your social life， meeting other bandmates who are like-minded in their love of a good tune. Learning an instrument can also give you a sense of achievement. Nailing that perfect chord is one way， but what if you got together with a bunch of friends and entered into a battle of the bands—and won？

這不僅對孩子們有好處。無論你選擇彈鋼琴、彈吉他還是學習打鼓，你最終都可能加入某個流行音樂樂隊或某個管弦樂隊。這反過來可以改善你的社交生活，結識其他志同道合的樂隊成員。學習一門樂器也能給你一種成就感。找到完美的和弦是一種方法，但如果你和一群朋友聚在一起，參加一場樂隊之戰，而且贏了呢？

So， whether youre looking to destress playing out some chords， or improve your grades at school， maybe taking up an instrument could help you.

所以，無論你是想通過演奏和弦來減壓，還是想提高你的學習成績，也許學一門樂器會對你有幫助。

Word Bank

dedication /'ded?'ke??n/ n. 獻身；奉獻

Her dedication to her work was admirable.

passion /'p??n/ n. 激情；酷愛

Her passion for dancing never cooled down over the years.