Sunday, May 11, 2014

How Musical Training Effects Our Brains

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140507211622.htm

New research shows that the areas of the brain related to music share pathways related to language. This left hemisphere is a multi-tasking instrument. Undergrad student Amy Spray and Dr. G Meyer form the Psychological Sciences at the University of Liverpool will be presenting their research on Thursday May 8th at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham. Not only are these two areas of the brain seemingly linked, but increased music training can have a modular effect on the brain, increasing the amount of pathways available. Across 14 musicians and 9 non-musicians word and music generation tests were performed. It was shown that musicians' brains lighted up in the same areas during language and music related tasks while non-musicians had little activity in similar regions. Prior to musical training this was the case, yet after they were exposed to music fundamental education, the same area of the brain was active for both tasks. Half an hour of training was sufficient to illicit this rewiring of the brain, which is obviously an amazing discovery. The experiment shows that these patterns can be developed rapidly with a brief amount of musical training and corresponding positively effect language skill development.

This is fascinating news to me. As a practitioner of music, it's awesome that my efforts yield such immediate and diverse fruit. The brain's capabilities are truly astounding and our ability to influence its growth never ceases to grow as well. 

1 comment:

  1. The processes of the brain are truly amazing, capable of almost anything. It is one of the human organs that has undergone study for decades that is still a mystery. If the studies of the music to language relations are accurate then I beg to question, when is the best time to acquire musical skills? Would it parallel the study, http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=60, that children learn languages best when they are a baby? If so, would adults that pick up musical practices have the same connective pathways as a musician that began their study in their youth?

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