Will Learning to Play the Piano or Keyboard Make You Smarter?

Will learning to play a musical instument make youleft and right side of the brain. There is growing
more intelligent? Could the brain grow larger thanevidence that detailed and even skilled motor
normal by learning to play a musical instrument?functions are enhanced, besides the growing
Questions such as these have been arisingevidence from research studies that some brain
everywhere over the past few years and notregion connectivity, as well as some types of
only in science journals either. The interest of thereasoning functionality is improved by music
general public in these studies involving music andtraining. The corpus callosum in musicians is
the development of the brain has led to theevidently essential to the performance of such
publishing of many articles, to the delight oftasks as the coordination of fingers. As any
music-lovers everywhere. But all the informationmuscle must grow to accommodate the tasks at
gathered, the reliable and the questionable, has lefthand, this portion of the brain also grows to make
many still confused about how much importanceone more proficient at these necessary musical
should be put on use of musical training for brainskills.
development.In a study conducted by Dr. Timo Krings and
If your feeling confused about what you havereported on in Neuroscience Letters 2000,
learned, certain valid points considered may helpnon-musicians and pianists of the same age and
clear your thinking. It seems that the mostgender were asked to complete a series of
benefit is derived from early musical training whenintricate finger movements. In this study, pianists
it comes to strengthening the connectors in theand non-musicians of the same age and gender
brain and creating new pathways. Researchwere asked to perform sequences of complex
demonstrates the definite influence that musicfinger movements. Correct movements were
training has on the long-term development ofnoted by both groups, but less activity was seen
specific parts of the brain. The research findingsin the brains of the pianists. The conclusion drawn
of Gottfried Schlaug, Herman Steinmetz and theirby the researchers was that the pianists' brains
associates were published in Discover magazine inmake skilled moves with less effort. There are a
1994. They did a comparison of 27 classicallystaggering number of ways that the human brain
trained right handed musicians with 27 rightand its development are affected thanks to the
handed non-musicians using a technique called MRI,study of music. With all this research at your
abbreviated for magnetic resonance images. Theirfingertips, how do you decide what type of
findings revealed that the planum temporale (themusical studies will benefit yourself or your
brain's auditory processor) was larger in the leftchildren?
hemisphere and smaller in the right in comparisonAn article by N.M. Weinberger published in Musica
with the group of non-musicians. Musicians whoResearch Notes in 2002 made an interesting point
started training before the age of seven hadabout how the Mozart Effect, although not living
even more outstanding differences. Theup to it's musical hype, has raised the public eye
differences were especially notable amongto the research being conducted in the field of
musicians who started early training, specificallymusic. Listening to just a few minutes of Mozart
before the age of seven. Shlaug claims that theinvites a whole new world of musical possibilities
study of music also promotes enlargement of theto the listener. The academic evidence discovered
corpus callosum, a bridge of sorts between thefor using music study as a tool to aid brain
brain's two hemispheres. He discovered thatdevelopment is compelling, even with the hype
among musicians who began their musicalregarding the Mozart Effect. Dr. Frank Wilson
education before seven years of age, theirfrom the University of California's School of
corpus callosum was thicker by 10-15% comparedMedicine in San Francisco says his research
to non-musicians. It was suspected that a largerreveals improvement in coordination,
corpus callosum improves motor control byconcentration, memory, eyesight and hearing
making a faster connection between thewhen a person engages in practicing the art of
hemispheres of the brain.music.
Later research published in a 2002 issue ofAccording to Frank Wilson's research, learning to
Science magazine showed the results of a studyplay an instrument brings about these benefits:
conducted by Dartmouth music psychologist Peterbetter coordination, improved concentration,
Janata which confirmed that music is one of thememory, eyesight and hearing. According to
best stimulants for improved connectivityWilson, all other activity pales in comparison to
between the right and left hemispheres of themusical training which refines the entire
brain and between areas responsible for emotionneurological system by improving connections and
and memory. A team of scientists led by Janatamotor skills in the brain. Dr. Wilson says that he
reports that with musicians, they have foundbelieves musical instruction is vital for total brain
certain areas of the brain to be 5% larger, anddevelopment.
specifically the auditory cortex in expertThe conclusion we draw from what we've learned
musicians, up to 15% larger than people with littleis that studying music can be an important tool to
or no musical background. In addition, those whoenhance various important functions of the brain.
started studying music early in childhood haveTherefore, if you are a lover of music, pick up
increased development of up to 15% in the brainthat musical instrument you have always wanted
area called the corpus callosum, which is ato learn and get started today - you have much
four-inch bundle of nerve fibers connecting theto gain.