Over the last several years, brain training has become a big business. Think of all the apps that have suddenly arrived in app stores – BrainHQ, Lumosity, Cogmed, and more. But do these smartphone apps actually offer any real benefits for your brain? Unfortunately, researchers really don’t think so. The fact is, the University of Illinois found that there’s really no good evidence that games like these improve anything more than the specific task being trained. Luminosity was even fined $2 million for “deceptive advertising.” So, if these “brain training” don’t work as advertised, what can help keep your brain sharp? In reality, nothing works quite as well as learning to play a musical instrument!
The Musician’s Brain
Time after time, studies have shown that musical training can profoundly impact the brain, literally changing its structure. It can even improve long-term memory and aid in healthy brain development for those who start at a young age.
Moreover, a study by the University of Montreal found that musicians are often more mentally alert than their non-musical peers. According to lead researcher Simon Landry, “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.“ He goes on to say, “As people get older, for example, we know their reaction times get slower. So if we know that playing a musical instrument increases reaction times, then maybe playing an instrument will be helpful for them.”
In an earlier study, Dr. Landry found that musicians possess an “altered statistical use of multisensory information.“ Basically, that means they are better at processing information they get from all their senses.
One thing that may contribute to this is the unique way with which we interact with it. People, especially musicians, have an emotional connection to music, which helps it stimulate the brain in different and interesting ways. But what does that mean?
Unlike those smartphone brain games, playing an instrument is a rich, complicated, and fulfilling experience. This is thanks to the integration of information that reaches us through our eyes, ears, fingers, and fine movements. The results of processing all this information simultaneously are long-lasting changes to the brain’s physical structure.
How the Brain Changes
It may be hard to believe, but brain scans can see the difference in brain structure between musicians and non-musicians. One of the most apparent differences is that the corpus callosum, the giant bundle of fibers connecting the brain’s two hemispheres, is significantly larger in musicians. What’s more, the areas responsible for movement, hearing, and vision all appear to be more prominent in musicians as well.
At first, studies like these couldn’t tell if these brain differences were caused by musical training, or if they were natural differences that led to certain people becoming musicians. However, we do know now. A recent long-term study that found that children who do only 14 months of musical training showed powerful structural and functional changes in their brains.
Studies like these easily prove that learning to play a musical instrument increases the volume of gray matter in different areas of the brain. Furthermore, playing music strengthens the long-range connections between these areas.
Long-Term Benefits of Brain Training
Many brain-scanning studies have also found that these changes to the structure of the brain are related to the age at which the training began. Unsurprisingly, the younger the age a person begins musical training, the more pronounced the brain changes are.
But what’s interesting about this finding is that even short periods of musical training can have long-lasting benefits. A study done in 2013 found that people with only a moderate amount of musical training could retain a better ability to process speech sounds. Additionally, only a moderate amount of musical training was enough to improve resilience to age-related hearing decline.
Furthermore, researchers think playing music can help both speech processing and learning for children with dyslexia. Moreover, learning to play a musical instrument as a child can help protect the brain against dementia.
Other Ways Learning to Make Music Works as Brain Training
But that’s not all! Here are a few more ways that learning to play music can strengthen your brain.
- Bond with others. No surprises here. Think about your favourite band. They could only put albums together and have success if they could have contact, coordination, and cooperation with each other.
- Better memory and reading skills. The generally accepted theory is that music is related through common neural and cognitive mechanisms. In other words, as far as your brain is concerned, practicing music is the same as practicing memory and reading.
- Improve your mood. There’s no denying it! Playing music makes you happy! Studies have shown that babies participating in interactive music classes show better early communication skills and smile more.
- Reduce stress and depression. A recent study involving cancer patients found that listening to or playing music reduced their anxiety. Another related study found that music therapy lowered both depression and anxiety.
- Increase blood flow to the brain. Studies in this area have shown that even short bursts of musical instruction increase blood flow to the left hemisphere of the brain.
- Strengthen executive function. Executive function refers to the brain’s ability to handle critical tasks, like processing and retaining information, controlling behaviour, decision-making, and problem-solving. The better your brain is at these things, the easier it is to live and navigate the world around you. Musical training helps to strengthen executive function in both children and adults.
Want to get in on these incredible brain training benefits? It’s never too late! Start your musical journey with the professionals at The Music Studio! We offer programs and classes for all ages and all skill levels. Check them all out and give us a call today!