I once wrote an essay in college about all the benefits/disciplines involved in the task of learning music.
It was well received and the thing I remember most was someone stating they had never thought about it and give musicians a lot more credit than they did prior to reading it.

That statement made my day and the hours spent writing it worth it.
I told myself it may have been one of my best works and to never lose it, but I did. At least the electronic copy.
Hmm, wonder if I still have a printed copy somewhere.

Basically the executive summary was that musicians are reading a second language, expressed using various parts of their whole body with their instrument while not just articulating in the moment but thinking ahead so the next note(s) are properly placed in a group conversation that a larger group wants to hear.
It's never the exact same conversation and it is obvious when the topic becomes tiresome to any one involved because they are listening to each other and adapting the conversation at the same time, all in real time .. and for an experienced musician the biggest factor is the discipline of listening to each other while participating.
Only the paper took three pages to get to that <grin>

I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!