| Will listening to music make you smarter?
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| | Schlaug and other researchers speculated
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| Will learning to play a musical
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| | that a larger corpus callosum might
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| instrument make your brain grow larger
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| | improve motor control by speeding up
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| than normal?Questions like these ones
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| | communication between the
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| have been popping up all over the place
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| | hemispheres.Since then, a study by
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| in the past few years, and not just in
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| | Dartmouth music psychologist Petr Janata
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| scientific journals either.In recent
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| | published by Science in 2002, has
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| times the media has been fascinated by
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| | confirmed that music prompts greater
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| the research surrounding brain
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| | connectivity between the brains left and
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| development and music, eagerly reporting
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| | right hemisphere and between the areas
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| on the latest studies to the delight of
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| | responsible for emotion and memory, than
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| the music-loving parents of young
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| | does almost any other stimulus.Janata led
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| children.But all this information - and
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| | a team of scientists who reported some
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| some misinformation too - has led to
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| | areas of the brain are 5% larger in
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| generalized confusion about the role of
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| | expert musicians than they are in people
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| music and music training in the
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| | with little or no musical training, and
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| development of the human brain. The
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| | that the auditory cortex in professional
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| bottom line is this: if you're confused
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| | musicians is 130% denser than in
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| by all you read about music study and
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| | non-musicians. In fact, among musicians
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| brain development, you're certainly not
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| | who began their musical studies in early
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| alone.In part, this is due to the manner
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| | childhood, the corpus callosum, a
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| in which the phrase "the Mozart Effect"
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| | four-inch bundle of nerve fibers
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| has been popularized by the media and
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| | connecting the left and right sides of
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| bandied about to describe any situation
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| | the brain, can be up to 15% larger.While
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| in which music has a positive effect on
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| | it is now clear from research studies
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| cognition or behavior.In fact the Mozart
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| | that brain region connectivity and some
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| Effect refers specifically to a 1993
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| | types of spatial reasoning functionality
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| research finding by Frances Rauscher,
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| | is improved by music training, there is
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| Gordon Shaw and Katherine Ky and
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| | growing evidence that detailed and
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| published in the prestigious journal
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| | skilled motor movements are also
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| Nature. The scientists found that 36
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| | enhanced.Apparently the corpus callosum
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| college students who listened to 10
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| | in musicians is essential for tasks such
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| minutes of a Mozart sonata performed
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| | as finger coordination. Like a
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| higher on a subsequent spatial-temporal
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| | weight-lifter's biceps, this portion of
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| task than after they listened to
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| | the brain enlarges to accommodate the
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| relaxation instructions or silence.An
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| | increased labour assigned to it.In a
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| enchanted media reported this interesting
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| | study conducted by Dr. Timo Krings and
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| research as "Mozart makes you smarter" -
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| | reported in Neuroscience Letters in 2000,
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| a huge over-simplification of the
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| | pianists and non-musicians of the same
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| original results.As Rauscher explains in
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| | age and sex were required to perform
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| a later paper, the Mozart Effect was
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| | complex sequences of finger movements.
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| studied only in adults, lasted only for a
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| | The non-musicians were able to make the
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| few minutes and was found only for
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| | movements as correctly as the pianists,
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| spatial temporal reasoning. Nevertheless,
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| | but less activity was detected in the
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| the finding has since launched an
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| | pianists' brains. The scientists
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| industry that includes books, CDs and
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| | concluded that compared to non-musicians,
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| websites claiming that listening to
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| | the brains of pianists are more efficient
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| classical music can make children more
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| | at making skilled movements.The study of
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| intelligent.The scientific controversy -
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| | music definitely affects the human brain
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| not to mention the popular confusion -
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| | and its development, in a staggering
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| surrounding the Mozart Effect, has given
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| | number of ways. But what to make of all
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| rise to a corresponding perplexity for
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| | the research, especially in terms of
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| parents. They wonder: "Should my kids
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| | deciding the best course of music study
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| even bother with music education?"In fact
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| | or appreciation for yourself or your
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| the answer to this question is still a
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| | offspring?A 2000 article by N M
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| resounding yes, since numerous research
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| | Weinberger in MuSICA Research Notes makes
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| studies do prove that studying music
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| | the following excellent point: Although
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| contributes unequivocally to the positive
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| | the Mozart Effect may not list up to the
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| development of the human brain. Other
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| | unjustified hopes of the public, it has
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| researchers have since replicated the
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| | brought widespread interest in music
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| original 1993 finding that listening to
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| | research to the public. And listening to
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| Mozart improves spatial reasoning. And
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| | ten minutes of Mozart could get someone
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| further research by Rauscher and her
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| | interested in listening to more
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| colleagues in 1994 showed that after
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| | unfamiliar music, opening up new
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| eight months of keyboard lessons,
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| | vistas.Irregardless of the hype
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| preschoolers demonstrated a 46% boost in
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| | surrounding the Mozart Effect, the
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| their spatial reasoning IQ, a skill
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| | overall academic evidence for music study
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| important for certain types of
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| | as a tool to aid brain development, is
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| mathematical reasoning.In particular, it
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| | compelling.At the University of
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| is early music training that appears to
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| | California School of Medicine in San
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| most strengthen the connections between
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| | Francisco, Dr. Frank Wilson says his
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| brain neurons and perhaps even leads to
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| | research shows instrumental practice
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| the establishment of new pathways. But
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| | enhances coordination, concentration and
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| research shows music training has more
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| | memory and also brings about the
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| than a casual relationship to the
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| | improvement of eyesight and hearing. His
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| long-term development of specific parts
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| | studies have shown that involvement in
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| of the brain too.In 1994 Discover
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| | music connects and develops the motor
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| magazine published an article which
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| | systems of the brain, refining the entire
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| discussed research by Gottfried Schlaug,
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| | neurological system in ways that cannot
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| Herman Steinmetz and their colleagues at
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| | be done by any other activity. Dr. Wilson
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| the University of Dusseldorf. The group
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| | goes so far as to say he believes music
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| compared magnetic resonance images (MRI)
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| | instruction is actually 'necessary' for
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| of the brains of 27 classically trained
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| | the total development of the brain.So the
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| right-handed male piano or string
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| | bottom line is this: Music study and
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| players, with those of 27 right-handed
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| | practice probably does aid in the
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| male non-musicians.Intriguingly, they
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| | development of the brain in various
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| found that in the musicians' planum
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| | important ways. And after all, if you
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| temporale - a brain structure associated
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| | enjoy music, there is nothing to lose by
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| with auditory processing - was bigger in
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| | trying, and everything to gain!Duane
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| the left hemisphere and smaller in the
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| | Shinn is the author of over 500 music
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| right than in the non-musicians. The
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| | books and products such as DVD's, CD's,
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| musicians also had a thicker nerve-fiber
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| | musical games for kids, chord charts,
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| tract between the hemisphere. The
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| | musical software, and piano lesson
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| differences were especially striking
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| | instructional courses for adults. He
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| among musicians who began training before
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| | holds an advanced degree from Southern
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| the age of seven.According to Shlaug,
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| | Oregon University and was the founder of
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| music study also promotes growth of the
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| | Piano University in Southern Oregon. He
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| corpus callosum, a sort of bridge between
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| | can be reached at He is the author of
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| the two hemispheres of the brain. He
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| | the popular free 101-week e-mail
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| found that among musicians who started
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| | newsletter titled "Amazing Secrets Of
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| their training before the age of seven,
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| | Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord
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| the corpus callosum is 10-15% thicker
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| | Progressions" with over 55,000 current
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| than in non-musicians.At the time,
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| | subscribers.
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