Scientists Prove Learning To Play Music Is Good For Your Brain

Learning to play a musical instrument may not just be good fun and entertaining, but it can actually change your brain.

A recent paper published by Nature Reviews Neuroscience, is a compilation of research findings from scientists all over the world who used all kinds of research methods to show that musical training has a profound impact on your ability to learn other skills such as speech and language, memory and attention and even your ability to express your emotions vocally.

Musical training shown by the research actually adds new neural connections that primes your brain for other forms of human communication.

"A musician's brain selectively enhances information-bearing elements in sound. In a beautiful interrelationship between sensory and cognitive processes, the nervous system makes associations between complex sounds and what they mean," Nina Kraus, lead author of the Nature paper and director of Northwestern's Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, explained in a statement to the media. "The efficient sound-to-meaning connections are important not only for music but for other aspects of communication."

Music and more importantly learning music, enhances neuroplasticity, your brains ability to adapt and change. For example children who have had musical training tend to have a bigger vocabulary, and better reading ability than those who have not had any. Children with learning disabilities like dyslexia may be especially helped by music lessons.

The conclusion of their study was written as, "The effect of music training suggests that, akin to physical exercise and its impact on body fitness, music is a resource that tones the brain for auditory fitness and thus requires society to re-examine the role of music in shaping individual development,"

So finally there is some strong scientific evidence to suggest that music has a very important place in our schools curriculum.