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