Why do we make music?

Humans have been making music for thousands of years. The earliest known instrument dates back 60,000 years. It was discovered in Divje babe cave near Cerkno and has been declared by experts to have been made by Neanderthals. It is made from the left thighbone of a young cave bear and has four pierced holes. Musical experiments confirmed findings of archaeological research that the size and the position of the holes cannot be accidental – they were made with the intention of musical expression.

Every culture of humans in the world has been making music for thousands of years. Music fills our celebrations of civic and family events and brings comfort in our times of sorrow and mourning.

As Shinichi Suzuki and many others have said, music enables us to express thoughts, emotions and ideas too deep for words.

Making music also builds our brains. Studying and making music has profound effects on our sense of well-being, cognitive development and social interactions. Functional MRI studies have shown that every region of the brain lights up like a Christmas tree when we perform or listen to music!