How playing an instrument benefits your brain

Exam Review

How Playing an Instrument Benefits your Brain

Did you know that every time musicians pick up their instruments, there are fireworks going off all over their brain? On the outside, they may look calm and focused, reading the music and making the precise and practiced movements required. But inside their brains, there’s a party going on. How do we know this? Well, in the last few decades, neuroscientists have made enormous breakthroughs in understanding how our brains work by monitoring them in real time with instruments like fMRI and PET scanners.

When people are hooked up to these machines, tasks, such as reading or doing math problems, each have corresponding areas of the brain where activity can be observed. But when researchers got the participants to listen to music, they saw fireworks. Multiple areas of their brains were lighting up at once, as they processed the sound, took it apart to understand elements like melody and rhythm, and then put it all back together into unified musical experience. And our brains do all this work in the split second between when we first hear the music and when our foot starts to tap along.

But when scientists turned from observing the brains of music listeners to those of musicians, the little backyard fireworks became a jubilee. It turns out that while listening to music engages the brain in some pretty interesting activities, playing music is the brain’s equivalent of a full-body workout. The neuroscientists saw multiple areas of the brain light up, simultaneously processing different information in intricate, interrelated, and astonishingly fast sequences. But what is it about making music that sets the brain alight? The research is still fairly new, but neuroscientists have a pretty good idea.

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The connections between brain research and music have been ongoing for the past two decades, but there are actually a lot of different areas within the research, and it is easy to confuse them.

Firstly there is the area of music and the brain, which is about how we process music in our brains. Daniel Levitin wrote a great book called This is Your Brain on Music (http://daniellevitin.com/publicpage/books/this-is-your-brain-on-music/) which is all about how we process music.

Then there is the area of music therapy and the brain, which is about how we can use music to assist people who have had brain injuries, physical trauma or have been born with a disability, to improve their physical and cognitive function. It is also being used extensively with people who are suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Oliver Sacks wrote a great book called Musicophillia (http://musicophilia.com) and Norman Doige has a book on brain plasticity called The Brain that Changes itself (http://www.normandoidge.com/normandoidge.com/MAIN.html) that talks about the power of music therapy.

Then there is the area of music education and the brain, which is about how music learning can impact on general brain development in children and adults. In the research it is called music training and is generally understood to be the formal and sequential learning of music, through playing music as well as appreciating and listening to it. There are a number of research institutes that are working in this part of the field, the Dana Foundation (http://www.dana.org), the BRAMS Institute (http://www.brams.org/en/) and the Music, Mind and Wellbeing Institute (http://cmmw.unimelb.edu.au).

Keeping up with the research is tricky if you are not a neuroscientists. Here is a resource that can keep you up to date with the research, and here is a list of the references that were used to support the writing of the script for this lesson.

Research into the nature of how the corpus callosum impacts on the brains functions, and how learning a musical instrument impacts on this, is ongoing. Recently, neuroscientists have dug deeper and found that changes in the corpus callosum may be dependent on the type of musical training a musician does and could be localized to the anterior corpus callosum. This area has shown an increase in bi-manual coordination (where the brain coordinates simultaneous multiple movements like using a knife and fork). Here is some of the latest research.

Sometimes it is hard to explain all of this research to someone else so here is a short video you can share with parents, teachers and students about how music education can enhance brain development.

Learning to sing or play a musical instrument can help disadvantaged children improve their reading skills, US research suggests.

How Playing an Instrument Benefits your Brain

Level: pre intermediate and above

Time of completion: 20+ min

Introduction

When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout. What’s going on? Anita Collins explains the fireworks that go off in musicians’ brains when they play, and examines some of the long-term positive effects of this mental workout.

Vocabulary

artist (noun): a professional singer, musician or songwriter

art music (noun): music written and performed by professional musicians mostly for the upper classes, like classical Indian music and European opera

beat (noun): the regular pulse in music that dancers move to and audiences clap to

classical music (noun): European orchestral and keyboard music that’s written by composers –

country music (noun): a genre of American music with origins in the rural folk music of Europe

folk music (noun): traditional music from a particular region or country

genre (noun): a kind or style of music, movie, TV show, painting, etc.

harmony (noun): the combining of musical notes that sound good when played or sung together

hip hop (also “rap”) (noun): a musical genre in which artists rap over beats and sampled sounds

jazz (noun): a genre in which artists improvise within a rhythmic and harmonic framework

Latin music (noun): a genre of popular music in Latin America and Spain that has complex rhythms

live (adjective): played at a concert in front of an audience

lyrics (noun): the words of a song

melody (noun): a tune, or the notes of a song

pop music (noun): a popular music genre with short, melodic songs that are easy to remember

popular music (noun): music that many people like and buy, like rock music and heavy metal, hip hop and rap, pop songs, etc.

recording (noun): a piece of music that’s recorded in a studio or at a concert

rhythm (noun): a pattern of beats and sounds that musicians play in time to and dancers move to

rock music (noun): rhythmic blues-based music played on guitar, bass, drums, etc.

traditional music (noun): music that developed over a very long time, like traditional African drumming and Chinese folk songs

Listening

Watch the video and choose A, B, C, or D for each of the questions. (Answers below.)

A Certain areas of the brain start working

B Work for just a second while we are listening

C There is simultaneous activity in many areas of the brain

D Different areas work at intervals to process melody, rhytm, etc

A Visual, motor and cerebral cortices

B Auditory, motor and visual cortices

C Motor, cerebral and auditory cortices

D Cerebral, motor and fine motor cortices

A Precision skills like Maths and Language

B Fine motor skills

D Dancing and tapping skills

A Corpum callum

B Coopco coolism

D Corpus callosum

A. By bringing them to life more quickly

B. By assigning multiple tags to their memories

C. By linking them through cognitive analysis

D. By showing them through music

A Playing a music instrument enhance brain functions more than other activities

B Musicians and Sports players have the same cognitive abilities

C All artists have enhanced cognitive abilities

D All of the above

Speaking

It is possible that you may be asked about music, or musical instruments, in any of the speaking sections. Here is an example from the IELTS speaking part two:

Talk about a musical instrument you would like to be able to play.

What the instrument looks like

What kind of people enjoy it

And also why you would like to be able to play it.

Sample Answer:

I would really like to be able to play the piano. In the past I have learned how to play the drums and the guitar, although to be honest I’m not very good at either. I suppose I don’t have much musical talent. However, the piano always seemed so amazing to me. It is such a beautiful, classical instrument.

When I see people playing grand pianos on TV I am in awe at their ability. The piano is unlike any other kind of instrument in terms of sound. It really is incredible to hear someone play it well. Its range of sound is impressive, and a talented musician can bring an audience to tears, or instill any other kind of emotion just by hitting the keys in a certain order.

I think that any person could conceivably enjoy listening to the piano. In fact, even if you don’t think that you do, I’m sure you enjoy some music that features the piano. It is so versatile that it is frequently used in all kinds of musical genres.

I would love to be able to play the piano because it would allow me to affect people’s lives positively through music. The power of music is so important that it can change a person’s day just to hear a certain tune as they walk along. To be capable of playing the piano would be an important asset for my life.

Answers

1 C 2 C 3A 4 D 5 B 6 A

About The Author

David S. Wills

David S. Wills is the author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the ‘Weird Cult’ and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. He lives and works in rural Cambodia and loves to travel. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. David has worked in many different countries, and for several years designed a writing course for the University of Worcester. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching.

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2 Comments

May you please share a recording, I mean a sample answer for this question. It can enhance our listening capacity and also help improve our pronunciation abilities.

Thank you for your consideration.

Thanks for your comment. I have added a video to this post which contains a recording of the sample answer. I hope you find it useful.

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The Benefits of Playing Music Help Your Brain More Than Any Other Activity

Learning an instrument increases resilience to any age-related decline in hearing.

So, if these brain games don’t work, then what will keep your brain sharp? The answer? Learning to play a musical instrument.

Why Being a Musician Is Good for Your Brain

Science has shown that musical training can change brain structure and function for the better. It can also improve long-term memory and lead to better brain development for those who start at a young age.

Furthermore, musicians tend to be more mentally alert, according to new research from a University of Montreal study.

«The more we know about the impact of music on really basic sensory processes, the more we can apply musical training to individuals who might have slower reaction times,» said lead researcher Simon Landry.

«As people get older, for example, we know their reaction times get slower,» said Landry. «So if we know that playing a musical instrument increases reaction times, then maybe playing an instrument will be helpful for them.»

Previously, Landry found that musicians have faster auditory, tactile, and audio-tactile reaction times. Musicians also have an altered statistical use of multisensory information. This means that they’re better at integrating the inputs from various senses.

«Music probably does something unique,» explains neuropsychologist Catherine Loveday of the University of Westminster. «It stimulates the brain in a very powerful way because of our emotional connection with it.»

Unlike brain games, playing an instrument is a rich and complex experience. This is because it’s integrating information from the senses of vision, hearing, and touch, along with fine movements. This can result in long-lasting changes in the brain. These can be applicable in the business world.

Changes in the Brain

Brain scans have been able to identify the difference in brain structure between musicians and non-musicians. Most notably, the corpus callosum, a massive bundle of nerve fibers connecting the two sides of the brain, is larger in musicians. Also, the areas involving movement, hearing, and visuospatial abilities appear to be larger in professional keyboard players.

Initially, these studies couldn’t determine if these differences were caused by musical training or if anatomical differences predispose some to become musicians. Ultimately, longitudinal studies showed that children who do 14 months of musical training displayed more powerful structural and functional brain changes.

These studies prove that learning a musical instrument increases gray matter volume in various brain regions, It also strengthens the long-range connections between them. Additional research shows that musical training can enhance verbal memory, spatial reasoning, and literacy skills.

Long-Lasting Benefits for Musicians

Brain-scanning studies have found that the anatomical change in musicians’ brains is related to the age when training began. It shouldn’t be surprising, but learning at a younger age causes the most drastic changes.

Interestingly, even brief periods of musical training can have long-lasting benefits. A 2013 study found that even those with moderate musical training preserved sharp processing of speech sounds. It was also able to increase resilience to any age-related decline in hearing.

Researchers also believe that playing music helps speech processing and learning in children with dyslexia. Furthermore, learning to play an instrument as a child can protect the brain against dementia.

«Music reaches parts of the brain that other things can’t,» says Loveday. «It’s a strong cognitive stimulus that grows the brain in a way that nothing else does, and the evidence that musical training enhances things like working memory and language is very robust.»

Other Ways Learning an Instrument Strengthens Your Brain

Guess what? We’re still not done. Here are eight additional ways that learning an instrument strengthens your brain.

1. Strengthens bonds with others. This shouldn’t be surprising. Think about your favorite band. They can only make a record when they have contact, coordination, and cooperation with one another.

2. Strengthens memory and reading skills. The Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern University states this is because music and reading are related via common neural and cognitive mechanisms.

3. Playing music makes you happy. McMaster University discovered that babies who took interactive music classes displayed better early communication skills. They also smiled more.

4. Musicians can process multiple things at once. As mentioned above, this is because playing music forces you to process multiple senses at once. This can lead to superior multisensory skills.

5. Music increases blood flow in your brain. Studies have found that short bursts of musical training increase the blood flow to the left hemisphere of the brain. That can be helpful when you need a burst of energy. Skip the energy drink and jam for 30 minutes.

6. Music helps the brain recover. Motor control improved in everyday activities with stroke patients.

7. Music reduces stress and depression. A study of cancer patients found that listening to and playing music reduced anxiety. Another study revealed that music therapy lowered levels of depression and anxiety.

8. Musical training strengthens the brain’s executive function. Executive function covers critical tasks like processing and retaining information, controlling behavior, making decisions, and problem solving. If strengthened, you can boost your ability to live. Musical training can improve and strengthen executive functioning in both children and adults.

And, to wrap up, check out this awesome short animation from TED-Ed on how playing an instrument benefits your brain.

Correction: An earlier version of this column misstated the name of the brain-training program Lumosity.

How Can Playing an Instrument Benefit Your Brain?

Music can have incredibly powerful effects on the human brain.

This has been known for quite some time, but exactly how it affects the mind has been largely unknown until fairly recently. Listening to music is definitely beneficial for your mind, as it requires your brain to analyze different moving parts and assemble them in order for you to truly understand what is happening.

An even greater thing happens, though, when you play an instrument. Each and every time someone plays an instrument, their gray matter goes berserk in the best way. By observing the brains of people who play musical instruments while they play them, scientists found that nearly every area of their minds were engaged while they played. This is because it requires the use of both hemispheres of the brain — the left side, because playing an instrument requires refined skill and some mathematics, and the right side because you are being creative.

As the video below explains, the most active parts of the mind while playing an instrument are the visual, auditory, and motor cortices, and playing an instrument is essentially like sending your brain to the gym. Because of this, people who play instruments generally have better visual, auditory, and motor skills, all of which come together to enhance their overall brain activity.

So dust off that guitar in the back of your closet and get to work flexing your brain!