On October 20, Nintendo will be releasing the latest game for their hit console Wii. The leader in interactive games, Wii is following in the steps of hit games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero and releasing Wii Music, a game that simulates playing musical instruments.

Playing the game is sort of like playing a musical instrument. Users will have to move their Wiimotes and nunchuks in the same motions as they would if they were actually playing the instrument. Like all games, it will take a lot of practice to become skilled at playing, which equals a significant time investment. Of course, will all this advancement in video game technology, I’m curious as to why we don’t spend that time learning the thing we’re simulating doing. For example, learning to play an actual instrument is also an investment of time, but at the end of the process, you know how to play an instrument, and you’ll have that knowledge forever. When you’re finished playing Wii Music, you’ll know how to move your hands like you’re playing an instrument, and eventually the game will become obsolete.

Proponents of Wii Music will argue that there is more immediate satisfaction than when learning to play an instrument. In addition, when playing Wii Music, you have the option of playing several different instruments, so you get to experience many different spectrums of music playing.

While it is true that taking music lessons doesn’t lend the same sense of immediate gratification that playing Wii Music will give, the long term benefits far outweigh the short-term gain. Music lessons have developmental benefits (including cognitive and spatial-temporal reasoning) that may enhance intelligence and improve academic scores. Both self esteem and self-discipline will experience a boost as well. And, after a while, you’ll be able to play actual songs with your instrument, and you’ll have the choice of what songs you want to play. (Unlike Wii Music which picks the songs for you.)

While Wii Music lets you experience the motions of playing many different instruments, and taking music lessons usually only lets you play your chosen instrument, picking up a second or a third instrument is pretty easy once you’ve mastered the basics in your first instrument. Sure, there are different components and parts, but if you’ve already learned to read music, it’ll be an easier process to pick up a second or third instrument.

Although Wii Music is one of the latest additions to the world of advanced gaming technology, taking music lessons and learning to play an instrument has far greater rewards. No longer will you be tied to your television and going through the motions of playing music, instead you can take your instrument wherever you’d like and actually play the songs you’d like to hear.