Scientific Research Shows Musical Training Enhances Brain Structure and Function
By
andsoitis
Reliable enough to start your morning with. Toast it again tomorrow.
Summary
The article explores scientific research showing that musical training, even for amateurs, has significant positive effects on brain structure and function. It discusses how making music serves as a comprehensive mental workout that coordinates sound, vision, motor control, focus, and imagination. Research indicates musical training enhances brain connectivity, improves memory and executive function, and may help reduce cognitive decline with aging. The article references historical context about phrenologists' misguided beliefs about musical talent while presenting modern neuroscience findings on music's cognitive benefits.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledMusical talent does not, as those 19th-century phrenologists believed, leave bumps on the cranium. It does, however, seem to make a healthy impression on the brain.
Making music is a mental workout. The brain must simultaneously co-ordinate sound and vision, as well as fine motor control, focus and imagination.
Research suggests that musical training enhances brain structure and function, potentially improving memory, executive function and reducing cognitive decline.
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