MUSIC AND BRAIN DEVELOPMENT

Editors Note: The following submission was written by Cecilia M. ('16) for her chemistry class after a classmate asked a question on the topic which left her eager to learn more. It is a short research paper on the effect practicing an instrument has on children. It discusses the way it impacts children's brains as well as what scientists plan to do with this research. 

                 Why are so many kids pressured into playing an instrument at such a young age? The answer is becoming clearer. It has been discovered that practicing an instrument, no matter which one, impacts children’s brain development. Between the ages of six and eight children are in their most “sensitive period” and therefore can strengthen their brains through musical training ("Early Music Lessons Boost Brain Development," 2013). Since an instrument forces good coordination between sight or sound and hands, it is believed the early training will help create stronger connections between the sensory and motor regions of the brain in the future ("Early Music Lessons Boost Brain Development"). An experiment carried out in 2005 by Gromko discovered that children who practice an instrument at a young age will have stronger listening and understanding skills (Chau & Riforgiate, 2010). They will understand sounds and words that are spoken faster than children who have not received musical training (Chau & Riforgiate). It was also discovered in 2009 that musical training helps improve a child’s reading skills, even if it’s not an extensive amount of instrument practice (Chau & Riforgiate). The stronger connection between the sensory and motor regions of the brain for young musicians was detected by comparing the brain structures between young musicians and those who did not practice an instrument. The young musicians had a collection of nerve fibers that linked the left and right areas of the brain, showing the brain development from the young musical training ("Early Music Lessons Boost Brain Development"). The results in this experiment showed that the younger a musician learns to play, the stronger the connection is between these areas of their brains ("Early Music Lessons Boost Brain Development"). The results also showed no difference in the brains between musicians who began later in life and non-musicians ("Early Music Lessons Boost Brain Development"). This shows that the brain development happens during a young age, when the brain is still impressionable. An experiment performed in 2009 by Hyde verified that it is musical training that improves brain development, not just the presence of music (Chau & Riforgiate). Scientists at the Society for Neuroscience are hoping that these new discoveries will help or treat different forms of learning disabilities (Mahesh, 2013). This would be a huge help for so many people in the world. The results of these experiments make the motives behind pushing young children to practice an instrument start to make more sense.  

---

Chau, C., & Riforgiate, T. (2010, Spring). The Influence of Music on the Development of Children. Http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/. Retrieved January 5, 2014, from            http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&context=psycdsp

Early Music Lessons Boost Brain Development. (2013, February 12). Sciencedaily.com. Retrieved January 4, 2014, from
           http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130212112017.htm

Mahesh, R. (2013, November 13). Learning Music Boosts Brain Development.Http://www.ibtimes.co.in/health/. Retrieved January 4, 2014, from 
           http://www.ibtimes.co.in/articles/521789/20131113/musical-training-brain-development-playing-instrument.htm