The Brain Is Changing The Brain

The study found that when developing students are learning to play and instrument that they develop the ability to not just hear and appreciate the sounds of music differently but also process the sounds in a different way compared to kids of the same age not learning an instrument. This is due to learn to play an instrument help develop neurophysiological distinction which has been linked to aid and boost literacy and this which possibly improve success in academics. A quote that I believe is really great in driving home this point is by Nina Kraus in her book “Frontiers in Psychology” and that quote is, “We like to say that making music matters, Because it is only through the active generation and manipulation of sound that music can rewire the brain.” And she was saying this after hosting a study at Northwestern’s Auditory Neuroscience Lab. And the experiment was to see if a music appreciation class had the same effect as actually learning and participating in band class. And they found that the kids that were in the process of learning an instrument has better of improved neural processing skills than the students who were only in music appreciation group.

In their “Music Matters” pamphlet, the Arts Education Association argues that arts education improves students’ abilities in Core tested areas and brain development. It is vital for every child to be able to better themselves in addition to their mind. A new study from the National Institutes of Health Magnetic Resonance (MRI) Study of Normal Brain Development says that training in music helps children be more mature emotionally and behaviorally, in addition to refined fine motor skills (Nutt). These are the developments that all children need in order to develop healthily. Mathematical skills are learned and reinforced in musical practice, which is why band kids perform better in math than their other nonmusical peers as they age in their educational careers (Arts Education Partnership). This is important because this development is dual-purposed for two subjects and relates them both to academic improvement. Leveling the playing field in the terms of students better understanding an essential subject will also aid in their development because they will be able to understand English more. Music students also have stronger determination, leadership skills, and observation and performance abilities that future universities and employers search for in successful students and employees (Arts Education Partnership). These benefits are multi-purposed and useful in numerous aspects of a person’s academic and employment future. Should these be made available for all students in order to give them equal opportunities to prepare them for the real world, then they will most likely have the opportunity to become

Music is one of the most ancient forms of art, as well as one of the most beneficial activities for the brain. Musicians, for example, have a stronger hippocampus, which is part of the brain involved in learning and memory. Neurogenesis, the process that is critical for learning and memory in the hippocampus is brought about through musical practice (What Happens). Musical practice on the piano is also associated with positively affecting the brain. One study conduct demonstrated through a special MRI that measures white matter in the brain, that regular piano players had a higher myelin levels than non-piano players (What Happens). This contributes to faster, and quicker nerve impulses, which then strengthens the brain. Not only does playing contribute to performing better cognitively, it over takes one's body. Musicians know when, “Each note rubs the others just right, and the instrument shivers with delight. The feeling is unmistakable, intoxicating” (Popova). The feeling

It can teach you to never to give up. Music education can transform you through the lessons you take and make you a different person. It can improve your grades and even make you a leader if you were never thought to be one. Music is also very good for your brain. Studies show that when listening to or playing music, you engage multiple parts of your brain. You use most parts of your brain including the visual, auditory, and motor cortices. playing an instrument helps you to strengthen and apply the new strengths to other activities. Playing an instrument also builds the brain’s corpus callosum, which is the bridge between the right and left sides of the brain, which helps people to solve problems in different, more efficient ways.

Aheadi, Dixon, and Glover were able to identify the benefits of musical training in a study involving the Mozart effect. Aheadi et al. state that, “Evidence suggests musical training can lead to long term enhancement of intelligence” (Aheadi, Dixon, and Glover, 2009, pg. 1). The results in this study showed that musicians had a higher overall performance compared to non-musicians. In a 1998, study completed by Overy, they were able to show that musical training tends to lead to increased intellectual abilities. They extrapolated that musical training improves cognitive functioning in attention, coordination, language, and concentration (Overy,

Playing an instrument stimulates the brain. Researchers from the University of Vermont discovered that musical training in the early stages can help kids focus their attention, control their emotions and can reduce their anxiety by strengthening the gray matter of the cortex. Not only that but it can also expand the one's creativity and make them more active, enhance coordination, improve reading and comprehension skills, enhance the capacity of memory, and boosts listening skills.

Participating in musical venues enhances children's creativity, their imagination and working memory. Musical activities may heighten children's motivation to learn and to perform perfectly. Music can help them to solve problems, to think outside- the- box, to accept and give constructive criticism, to develop trust, to respect others, to negotiate, to compromise, to build social networks, to cooperate and to be responsible. It can also contribute to building their self-identity and sense of belonging. Children who learn music tend to be emotionally balanced, are able to cope with anxiety and have empathy towards other cultures. Finally, playing a musical instrument improves hand-eye coordination (Gardiner et al.

Learning music positively affects a student's academic career. Brain imaging revealed that musicians have greater activity in their hippocampus and limbic system, which are related to memory retention and emotional processing. With this increase in brain activity, people with music training both develop better communication skills and display more empathy (Source B). Despite the substantial benefit music education has, critics still believe that funding for music education can be used for more advantageous expenditures such as lowering class size or upgrading facilities (Source D). However, these critics overlook the importance music education has on the overall growth of students. Studies in neuroaesthetics discovered profound effects music has on the development of the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for higher level thinking and motor skills. As a result, musicians are "better at drawing comparisons, forming constructive criticism and analyzing alternative viewpoints" (Source B). By providing students with music education, schools can enrich their students with more than what traditional academics

As mentioned in Nedra Floyd-Pautler’s “Playing music keeps your hearing sharp” published on April 2, 2012; due to the brains’ elasticity, instrumentalists and those with musical talent posses the ability to shape their brain to develop positive cognitive skills. In a recent study disclosed by Nina Kraus, PhD, and her team at Northwestern University’s Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, it was concluded that musical training optimizes the physiology and biology of the human brain. Musicians advance in a selection of advantages allowing them to better articulate speech, language, and emotion. Another being the capability to distinguish time changes in another’s pitch. The positive outcome of a musically trained brain demonstrates a rapid process

Have you ever felt as though listening to music helped you focus when learning? Have you felt it increased your brain activity and made you work better and faster? Music is a fascinating element used by many people from different cultures to express themselves and learn. An argument at large with the use of music is, can music truly further and express learning and cognitive development? Like most debates, this topic has two opposing sides, as to whether it can or cannot affect the brain. On one side, it has been said that music has a positive effect on learning, development and brain activity and on the other hand, it has been said to have little to no effect. From the research and studies conducted, music has a positive effect on cognitive development, recall and learning. When working, listening to music can

“A study by Virginia Penhune at Concordia University shows that musical training, particularly instrumental training, produces long lasting changes in motor abilities and brain structure. The earlier a child starts instrumental training, the stronger the connection between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. These changes last into adulthood and are proven to affect the ability to listen and communicate as an adult. Nina Krauss, a cognitive neuroscientist at Northwestern University, just released a study that older adults who took music lessons at a young age can process the sounds of speech faster than those who did not, even if they haven’t picked up an instrument in 40 years,” (Music, Art and Language Programs in Schools Have Long-Lasting). Music plays a key role in brain development as well as helping with communication skills and so much more. Music is one of few things that works both hemispheres at the same time. It makes you listen, learn, think, and feel things inexpressible with

Also, I would like to know if music has an effect on the brain that is significant enough for people to consider having their kids learn an instrument in order to get a head start on school and boost their intelligence.

In addition, music is an art for many years now. It helps kids all over the world with memory skills. In source number 2 it says “playing a musical instrument can get kids brain working in new and important ways”. While your child is playing an instrument it gets their brain going and open to learning new things. In the same source that I mentioned above says “one study of preschoolers shows that kids who took keyboard (music instrument) lessons had more memory skills than the kids who did not take the lessons”. Therefore kids who are 4 years of age can expand their memory skills.

At a young age a kid is still learning how to enunciate. Music helps that kid to grow faster at enunciating. It also helps the kid understand the language better when they sing it. According to the Children’s Music Workshop, “‘the effect of music education on language development can be seen in the brain. “Recent studies have clearly indicated that musical training physically develops the part of the left side of the brain known to be involved with processing language, and can actually wire the brain’s circuits in specific ways. Linking familiar songs to new information can also help imprint information on young minds’” the group claims

Although many, one positive way music education is beneficial to students is that it has a large impact on brain stem growth. With the incorporation of music in a student’s daily life, the brain stem’s responses become more robust (Brown). Therefore, the amount of brain stem growth correlates with recent musical training. As stated by Brown, an adjunct professor at the University of Baltimore, “student’s that are involved with a large amount of music will see more gains in brain stem growth”. Furthermore, the neural changes that occur in students as adolescents stay with them into adulthood (“Music Matters”). This allows students to be more prepared once they go into the workforce as adults. Along with the brain stem’s responses being more robust, it’s sensitivity to sound increases (“The Benefits” 1). This is abundantly evident from early on, as mother’s sing to their infants to facilitate brain stimulation and development. Enrichment through music, starting at a young age, seems to improve individuals speech sound development and use of more advanced vocabulary. Adolescents’ language also improves with the use of music in a student’s academics (Miller 46). Luehrisen