Music & Intelligence: Will Listening to Music Make You Smarter?

Home
>
Music & MP3
>
Music & Intelligence: Will Listening to Music Make You Smarter?

Music & Intelligence: Will Listening to Music Make You Smarter?

Will listening to music make you smarter? Will learning to play a musical instrument make your brain grow larger than normal?

Questions like these ones have been popping up all over the place in the past few years, and not just in scientific journals either.

In recent times the media has been fascinated by the research surrounding brain development and music, eagerly reporting on the latest studies to the delight of the music-loving parents of young children.

But all this information - and some misinformation too - has led to generalized confusion about the role of music and music training in the development of the human brain. The bottom line is this: if you're confused by all you read about music study and brain development, you're certainly not alone.

In part, this is due to the manner in which the phrase "the Mozart Effect" has been popularized by the media and bandied about to describe any situation in which music has a positive effect on cognition or behavior.

In fact the Mozart Effect refers specifically to a 1993 research finding by Frances Rauscher, Gordon Shaw and Katherine Ky and published in the prestigious journal Nature. The scientists found that 36 college students who listened to 10 minutes of a Mozart sonata performed higher on a subsequent spatial-temporal task than after they listened to relaxation instructions or silence.

An enchanted media reported this interesting research as "Mozart makes you smarter" - a huge over-simplification of the original results.

As Rauscher explains in a later paper, the Mozart Effect was studied only in adults, lasted only for a few minutes and was found only for spatial temporal reasoning. Nevertheless, the finding has since launched an industry that includes books, CDs and websites claiming that listening to classical music can make children more intelligent.

The scientific controversy - not to mention the popular confusion - surrounding the Mozart Effect, has given rise to a corresponding perplexity for parents. They wonder: "Should my kids even bother with music education?"

In fact the answer to this question is still a resounding yes, since numerous research studies do prove that studying music contributes unequivocally to the positive development of the human brain. Other researchers have since replicated the original 1993 finding that listening to Mozart improves spatial reasoning. And further research by Rauscher and her colleagues in 1994 showed that after eight months of keyboard lessons, preschoolers demonstrated a 46% boost in their spatial reasoning IQ, a skill important for certain types of mathematical reasoning.

In particular, it is early music training that appears to most strengthen the connections between brain neurons and perhaps even leads to the establishment of new pathways. But research shows music training has more than a casual relationship to the long-term development of specific parts of the brain too.

In 1994 Discover magazine published an article which discussed research by Gottfried Schlaug, Herman Steinmetz and their colleagues at the University of Dusseldorf. The group compared magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the brains of 27 classically trained right-handed male piano or string players, with those of 27 right-handed male non-musicians.

Intriguingly, they found that in the musicians' planum temporale - a brain structure associated with auditory processing - was bigger in the left hemisphere and smaller in the right than in the non-musicians. The musicians also had a thicker nerve-fiber tract between the hemisphere. The differences were especially striking among musicians who began training before the age of seven.

According to Shlaug, music study also promotes growth of the corpus callosum, a sort of bridge between the two hemispheres of the brain. He found that among musicians who started their training before the age of seven, the corpus callosum is 10-15% thicker than in non-musicians.

At the time, Schlaug and other researchers speculated that a larger corpus callosum might improve motor control by speeding up communication between the hemispheres.

Since then, a study by Dartmouth music psychologist Petr Janata published by Science in 2002, has confirmed that music prompts greater connectivity between the brains left and right hemisphere and between the areas responsible for emotion and memory, than does almost any other stimulus.

Janata led a team of scientists who reported some areas of the brain are 5% larger in expert musicians than they are in people with little or no musical training, and that the auditory cortex in professional musicians is 130% denser than in non-musicians. In fact, among musicians who began their musical studies in early childhood, the corpus callosum, a four-inch bundle of nerve fibers connecting the left and right sides of the brain, can be up to 15% larger.

While it is now clear from research studies that brain region connectivity and some types of spatial reasoning functionality is improved by music training, there is growing evidence that detailed and skilled motor movements are also enhanced.

Apparently the corpus callosum in musicians is essential for tasks such as finger coordination. Like a weight-lifter's biceps, this portion of the brain enlarges to accommodate the increased labour assigned to it.

In a study conducted by Dr. Timo Krings and reported in Neuroscience Letters in 2000, pianists and non-musicians of the same age and sex were required to perform complex sequences of finger movements. The non-musicians were able to make the movements as correctly as the pianists, but less activity was detected in the pianists' brains. The scientists concluded that compared to non-musicians, the brains of pianists are more efficient at making skilled movements.

The study of music definitely affects the human brain and its development, in a staggering number of ways. But what to make of all the research, especially in terms of deciding the best course of music study or appreciation for yourself or your offspring?

A 2000 article by N M Weinberger in MuSICA Research Notes makes the following excellent point: Although the Mozart Effect may not list up to the unjustified hopes of the public, it has brought widespread interest in music research to the public. And listening to ten minutes of Mozart could get someone interested in listening to more unfamiliar music, opening up new vistas.

Irregardless of the hype surrounding the Mozart Effect, the overall academic evidence for music study as a tool to aid brain development, is compelling.

At the University of California School of Medicine in San Francisco, Dr. Frank Wilson says his research shows instrumental practice enhances coordination, concentration and memory and also brings about the improvement of eyesight and hearing. His studies have shown that involvement in music connects and develops the motor systems of the brain, refining the entire neurological system in ways that cannot be done by any other activity. Dr. Wilson goes so far as to say he believes music instruction is actually 'necessary' for the total development of the brain.

So the bottom line is this: Music study and practice probably does aid in the development of the brain in various important ways. And after all, if you enjoy music, there is nothing to lose by trying, and everything to gain!

Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music books and products such as DVD's, CD's, musical games for kids, chord charts, musical software, and piano lesson instructional courses for adults. He holds an advanced degree from Southern Oregon University and was the founder of Piano University in Southern Oregon. He can be reached at http://www.pianolessonsbyvideo.com. He is the author of the popular free 101-week e-mail newsletter titled "Amazing Secrets Of Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions" with over 55,000 current subscribers. Those interested may obtain a free subscription by going to http://www.playpiano.com/

In The News:

Finding dark music in Max Payne's world
Los Angeles Times
(Ricardo DeAratanha, Los Angeles Times / May 14, 2012) By Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times "This is music for shootin' people in the face," jokes Jake Duzsik, lead singer of the experimental LA-based rock band Health as he listens to the single "Tears," ...

ITProPortal
Sony Brings Streaming Music Service to the IPhone
PCWorld
By Jay Alabaster, IDG News Sony on Friday released an iPhone app to access its streaming Music Unlimited service, part of its efforts to expand its online platforms to devices from rival manufacturers. The app allows users to listen to and manage ...
Sony Releases Music Unlimited App For IphoneWebProNews
Sony Music Unlimited Service Comes To iOSITProPortal
Since You Can't Beat Apple, Join Them: Sony Music Unlimited Bows iOS Apps On ...hypebot.com

all 27 news articles »

We Love DC
Arena Stage's 'Music Man'
Washington Post
Kate Baldwin's memorable Marian the Librarian draws us in to Arena Stage's endearingly melodic if unfortunately costumed revival of “The Music Man.” Marian Paroo (played by Kate Baldwin), left, and Amaryllis (played by Heidi Kaplan) perform a scene ...
Playhouse's 'Music Man' a square dealMerced Sun-Star

all 3 news articles »

A baritone's death, a band's reunion call up lifetime of musical memories
Chicago Sun-Times
But for years, they have topped my personal pantheon of musical gods, and both have been on my mind in recent days. The reunited Beach Boys were in town last week for two shows at the Chicago Theatre, and I was there, bopping along to the tunes that ...

and more »

Sony and Tivoli Intro Music Apps (Peacefully); Dish Network Feature Under Fire
Philadelphia Inquirer (blog)
Sony and Tivoli Audio have just introduced free (at least for a while) music streaming apps for the iPhone/iPod, But three broadcast networks yesterday filed suits against satellite TV provider Dish Network, to try and squash the "Auto Hop" feature on ...

and more »

Classical Music: SF Opera has'Attila' (and his ilk) and an eye-popping 'Magic ...
San Jose Mercury News
Kaneko's paintings at times start out as points of color placed atop the projection, which, in synch to the rhythms of the music, begin to extend into lines, forming geometric patterns to cover the background and create a dramatic frame for the singers ...

and more »

Dance That Looks Like Music Sounds: Hubbard Street's Alejandro Cerrudo
Huffington Post
One of his essential gifts, imperceptible to his audiences, is the intricate and profound way that he sees music. Hubbard Street Dancers Jacqueline Burnett and Jesse Bechard in Malditos by Alejandro Cerrudo. Photo by Todd Rosenberg In the past three ...

and more »

Crushable
Jay-Z Confirmed Music Chief for Willow Smith 'Annie' Remake
SPIN
by Marc Hogan Daddy Warbucks, the rumors are true: Jay-Z will be overseeing music for a remake of the musical Annie and will contribute original tracks. That's according to British actress Emma Thompson, who is writing the film, as she confirmed ...
Jay-Z writing music for 'Annie' remakeTheCelebrityCafe.com
Did Blue Ivy Inspire Jay-Z To Write New Music For The Annie Remake Starring ...Crushable
Jay-Z to Supervise Music for New Annie Movie Starring Willow SmithXXLMAG.COM
Vibe -Digital Spy UK -Gigwise
all 42 news articles »

Music Review: Samovar Russian Folk Music Ensemble - Around the Samovar ...
Seattle Post Intelligencer (blog)
ORG Around the Samovar is another hour-long set from the Russian folk music ensemble in the Washington, DC area that takes its name from the heated metal container traditionally used to heat and boil water in Russia, as well as in other locations.

and more »

Los Angeles Times
The Sunday Conversation: Pianist Mona Golabek holds on to the music
Los Angeles Times
The creator of the one-woman show 'The Pianist of Willesden Lane,' now at the Geffen Playhouse, reflects on the gift of music. Mona Gollabek's one-woman show 'The Pianist of Willesden Lane' is now at the Geffen Playhouse. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles ...

and more »

Google News