Jam for brain function

Playing a musical instrument can help keep the mind sharp—particularly when it comes to addressing mistakes, according to a 2013 study from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. The researchers gathered a group of amateur musicians, who all spent varying amounts of time practicing their instruments, and a nonmusician control group, then ran both through a series of mental tests. Not only did the results suggest that musical activity may help slow or stop age- and illness-related decline in mental functioning, the musicians were significantly better at recognizing and correcting their mistakes. One possible explanation offered by the study's authors was that musicians learn to be highly aware of what they're playing, but not let mistakes overly affect their performance.

Source: BBC.com