Student Spotlight: Alara Weitkamp
I hated playing the piano growing up. My mom walked into the living room at 1:00 PM on Saturdays, my eyes glued to the TV. “Time for piano practice, Alara,” she would say in a firm tone, meaning I had no choice. I slowly dragged my body off the couch. When I reached the piano, I played a few notes, stopped, then “wrote down fingerings” when actually doodling. I ended every practice moaning, “I hate this, Mom, please let me quit,” but she never let me.
I am glad I never did. The piano has benefited me in more ways than I could imagine. Instead of being forced to play the piano, I want to practice to relax when I am stressed. Playing an instrument has a larger effect on teenagers and could be the new cure for depression and anxiety.
“Impacting 14.8 million people, depression is the most prevalent mental health issue,” says Debra Shipman, nurse educator. Additionally, Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy states that 20% of parents in Tennessee reported their child has undiagnosed anxiety, while 11% reported their child has undiagnosed depression. When teenagers have depression and anxiety, they are irritable, have difficulty focusing, and have a continuous low mood. To combat these feelings, teens turn to drugs and alcohol. In fact, the CDC reported 17% of high school students abuse drugs and alcohol. Learning to play an instrument can reduce this number tremendously.
Playing an instrument provides a peaceful retreat from the pressures of daily life. According to the American Psychological Association, playing an instrument reduces cortisol (the hormone responsible for stress and anxiety) production. Too much cortisol production can lead to anxiety and depression, especially among teens.
When a teenager is suffering from depression or anxiety, they often have trouble expressing their feelings to their loved ones. According to PercussionPlay, “musical instruments are gates for emotions, and playing them allows emotions to come through.” Playing music allows you to express your feelings without using words, no matter what kind of music you play. Over time, playing an instrument will improve mood and concentration.
The article “Creative Ways of Self-Expression Bring Better Health and Happiness” details therapeutic dynamics when playing an instrument. “When you engage in a repetitive creative motion such as strumming a guitar or playing with piano keys, it triggers dopamine – the ‘feel-good’ hormone.” All addictive drugs, including alcohol and opioids, also produce a surge of dopamine. The Child Mind Institute states that over 50% of teens with depression or anxiety turn to drugs and alcohol because of this dopamine surge. What many teens don’t know is that playing an instrument can have similar short-term effects but lead to more satisfying long-term effects. Some long-term effects of playing an instrument include increased brain development, hand-eye coordination (beneficial for athletes), and focus abilities.
According to Tennessee Academic Standards for Fine Arts Education, students must have a whole credit of art to graduate. However, to maintain the effects of playing an instrument, students must play it for many years. Therefore, Tennessee schools should require students to play an instrument for all four years of high school. Although this may be a cost-heavy alternative, it is more expensive to treat millions of teenagers for depression and anxiety. Depression often begins in teenage years and early adulthood. Why not prevent depression before it develops?
With increasing depression and anxiety rates among teenagers, it is crucial that schools provide mandatory music classes. In the long run, this will reduce the number of teenagers abusing substances and will create a more well-rounded community.
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