The Effects of Music on Your Brain
Do you know different instruments causes different effects on our brain?
Step onto the train for your ride into work and you see a handful of people using their iPods. Get in your car and the first thing you typically do is turn on the radio or pop in a c.d. Music is all around us. We are stimulated by it; we enjoy it, our moods change because of it. But what else does music do? What kind of effects does music have on our brains?
Studies show that young children who have experienced musical training whether through voice lessons or playing in the band have stronger brains than children who do not experience music at that level. Children who have practiced a musical instrument or sung in a choir seem to have higher forms of certain mental abilities. Scientists have found that people who are musically trained – even if only for a year or two – have better memory and attention skills. When playing in a band or singing in a choir, an individual relies on their motor and listening skills in order to know when to play or sing, how loudly to play or sing, how quickly to play or sing, etc. In order to perform the musical piece excellently, each individual in the group must be alert at all times. These practices can be attributed to the reasoning for why people who are musically trained excel in their memory and attention skills. However, this does not occur for people who just simply listen to music. Studies have shown that these positive effects only happen temporarily for someone who listens to Bach or Mendelssohn. The effects are long-lasting when a child is musically trained on a consistent basis.
Scientists have found that one instrument causes different effects on the brain than another instrument would. For example, the changes in the brain of a singer are found in different regions of the brain than that of a flute player. According to a Canadian study, children who take piano or voice lessons on a weekly basis tend to score about three points higher in an IQ test compared to children who are not musically trained. Also, high school students who are musically trained maintain higher GPAs than students who do not experience music at that level.
Musical training also positively affects language development and math skills. Specifically, children with dyslexia have experienced encouraging effects on their language development. Studies also show that students who are consistently practicing music attain higher school grades. Musical training also creates improved social behavior, and it also assists in spatial-temporal reasoning which is said to be the foundation for problem solving.
These examples are all found in studies done on young children. According to scientists, it is more difficult to complete and analyze these types of studies on adults. Since the brain is developing at a rapid pace in young children, musical training makes a greater positive impact on their brains. This should not deter adults from learning how to play an instrument or taking voice lessons. However, the results will take a bit longer to come into effect.
Photo by Woodley wonderworks
