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How Music Affects The Brain Essay

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The Effects of Music on the Brain
In recent years, scientists have begun to do extensive research on the brains of individuals. Surprisingly, the brain only makes up two percent of a person’s mass but uses around twenty percent of the whole body’s energy and oxygen (Alban, 2016, para. 9). Although the brains of humans process sound in the auditory cortex, studies have shown that music boosts areas of the brain that are more closely associated with memory, emotions, and fine motor skills (Theismann, 2015, para. 4). Because of this association, music has major impacts on the brains of babies, children, and the elderly. First, music has extensive impacts on the brains of babies. Specifically, music impacts the brain development of infants and toddlers. A child’s brain grows substantially until age three by building pathways between cells called synapses. Notably, the specific synapses needed to listen to classical music are extremely similar to those used for spatial awareness. On the other hand, music improves the cognitive abilities of babies’ brains. Studies by Dr. Frances Ravscher and Gordon Shaw solidify this idea (Batema, 2012, para. 2-5). Due to its more complex harmony, instrumentation and structure, classical music prepares pathways in the brain needs for various cognitive tasks. Consequently, better pathways make for more efficient cognitive processes. Likewise, music speeds up the learning abilities in babies. Extensive studies by McMaster University (2012) discovered that one-year-old babies have better communication skills and show earlier brain responses when exposed to “interactive music classes with their parents” (Science Daily, para. 1). Similarly, research by various professionals has proven the connection between music and more effective brain processes for children under three years old. Next, music has major impacts on the brains of children. Music helps children’s brain development in addition to the brain development of babies. Children who have studied music have a better-developed transfer of information between the two hemispheres attributed to a slightly larger fiber bundle. Basically, the fiber bundle is the front part of the corpus callosum, which connects the

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