Does your New Year’s resolution include MUSIC? Music is known to have many benefits! Read on (and click here to see some dulcimers that are for sale!).

Reducing stress and anxiety: Listening to and playing music can lower stress hormones, blood pressure, and heart rate. It can also help reduce anxiety. 

Improving mood: Upbeat music can help you feel better. Music can also help regulate mood. 

Relieving pain: Listening to and creating music can reduce pain. 

Improving sleep: Listening to music can improve sleep quality. 

Improving memory and mental alertness: Listening to music can improve memory and mental alertness. 

Helping with trauma recovery: Music can help people recover from negative events and post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). 

Promoting social connection: Music can help people connect with others who share their interests. It can also help people bond over shared musical tastes and experiences. 

Improving cognitive development: Learning to play an instrument at any age can improve attention control, working memory, planning, and organization. 

Expressing emotions: Music can help people with hearing loss express emotions. 

Music can prevent cognitive decline in a number of ways, including:

Increasing dopamine production – Listening to music can increase dopamine production in the brain, which is involved in many cognitive functions.

Increasing brain plasticity – Music can increase the brain’s gray matter, which is important for learning and remembering new information. 

If you are ready to embark on a musical adventure with a “new” used dulcimer, check these out!