Music and Sports: Why Do Both? (via Alfred Music)

Many experts in the music and sports fields believe that with the amount of time and dedication it takes to master one of these disciplines, it is impossible to truly master two of them. They are too distinct from one another, they argue, and no one has enough free time to tackle both. But what about Micheline Ostermeyer, the French Olympic gold medalist in the shot put and professional concert pianist? Ostermeyer is an example of an individual who has mastered both an instrument and a sport. She says that the skills it takes to master the shot put also helped her develop mastery of the piano. Though they couldn’t seem more different, the practice of music and sports can actually benefit one another, and getting better in one skill makes it easier to master the other.

Having played organized sports from kindergarten through college, and playing both saxophone and guitar since the age of 9, I can confidently say that sports helped my musical ability and music helped my athletic ability. The creativity, improvisation, timing, attention to detail, execution, and self-discipline I developed when playing music benefited me on the sports field. And the skills I learned while playing sports—dealing with stress and anxiety, developing motivation that fuels improvement, going the extra mile despite fatigue, focus, teamwork, leadership, and confidence—helped me during practice and performances on my saxophone and guitar.