Improving vitality through music lessons

Whether someone takes a photography course, does crossword puzzles or learns to play an instrument in the later life; active learning has positive effects on the brain and state of mind. But what exactly are the positive effects of the different types of activities? The UMCG (University Medical Center Groningen) and the RUG (University of Groningen) started researching the effects of learning on the cognitive well-being of people over 65 in 2018.

The research group Lifelong Learning in Music of Hanze University of Applied Sciences will contribute to this research project because it has run previous research projects in the field instrumental music lessons for older learners. Researchers Krista de Wit and Karolien Dons will join the project in order to develop a teaching programme for guitar group lessons for older learners connected to an existing online curriculum. The focus of the research will be what an online learning environment, combined with the group lessons, can offer older adult students when learning to play the guitar, and what is required of the teacher. The group lessons will be taught by two guitar students of the Prince Claus Conservatoire.