Playing a musical instrument like the guitar, piano or drums is the key to tranquillity, poll shows | The Sun

MUSIC is the key to tranquillity as adults turn to their instruments when in need of a pick me up.

A poll of 1,000 people who play the guitar, piano and drums found a quarter experience a sense of escapism when they bash out a tune.

Meanwhile, 35 per cent of musicians say playing boosts their mood while 31 per cent feel more relaxed.

Three in 10 instantly feel more positive when they pick up their instrument with 29 per cent feeling inspired to be more creative.

Sandeep Jassi from Allianz Musical Insurance, which commissioned the survey, said: “Playing a musical instrument has many benefits – with mood boosting being one of them.

“They provide a sense of escapism that’s difficult to find elsewhere, so it’s no wonder people turn to instruments for relaxation and happiness.”

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The research also found 26 per cent are most likely to play their instrument after a stressful day at work, whilst 22 per cent will play when they have money worries.

A further 22 per cent find they deal with an injury or illness better.

Those who are musically inclined spend an average of four hours a week playing their instrument, with a quarter claiming it is their most prized possession.

Sadly though, 24 per cent of musicians have had their instrument stolen – with a large amount being emotionally impacted by the loss.

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Nearly four in 10 said this loss devastated them and 22 per cent said they would feel 'lost' or 'empty' if their instrument went missing.

However, an encouraging 42 per cent did go on to recover their lost item.

Reaching out to family and friends (50 per cent), going back to the last known location (47 per cent) and asking for CCTV footage (40 per cent) were the top lengths people went to in order to retrieve their possession.

The research was conducted to celebrate the launch of missinginstruments.co.uk which allows musicians from across the UK to register lost, stolen and found instruments online for free.

Many musicians have been parted from their instruments over the years, with many making headlines in musical history.

Famously, Paul McCartney had his Hofner Violin bass stolen in 1969 and Eric Clapton also fell victim in 1966 when he had his Gibson Les Paul guitar stolen.

Sandeep Jassi added: “It’s clear how much instruments can mean to their owners so seeing the impact it can have when it is stolen is really sad.

“We understand that not only are instruments an invaluable tool of the trade for a professional musician, but they also often hold huge personal and sentimental value.

"This is why we’re committed to reuniting as many musicians as possible with their beloved lost instruments.”

The OnePoll research also surveyed 1,000 adults who don’t play a musical instrument to gauge their opinions on the topic.

It emerged 28 per cent admit being able to play one would help them relax while a quarter claim they would generally be happier if they were able to use an instrument.

And 41 per cent admit they envy people who can play an instrument, with 29 per cent having this on their ‘bucket list’.

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However, 26 per cent have previously tried to learn one only to give up after a short period of taking it up.

The instruments people would most like to learn include the guitar (38 per cent), piano (34 per cent) and the drums (16 per cent).

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