It has been found that when listening and playing music, the brain’s neurons light up like fireworks. The neurons react in such a way, it is likened to a workout for the brain. As musicians display discipline and structure in practise through performance, their brains gain further strength allowing them to complete other tasks and activities at a higher ability.
While we generally only use a small part of our brain for day to day activities, music utilises both hemispheres of the brain, with a constant connection that encourages complex and creative pathways to solve problems in academic and social environments. This leads to musicians having a higher level of executive function, due to their emotional expression performed through their music.
Ever wondered why musicians can remember the tiny dots called music notation? Neurologists believe that musicians are able to access their long term memory more effectively. It is said that musicians’ memories are similar to ‘search engines’ by which their memories are stored and structured in filing systems where their brain accurately records each memory as a ‘tag’.
When comparing these brain functions to other fields of study, including sport and other fields of arts, playing an instrument involves an artistic and aesthetic ability, which allows the brains to react and process differently.
I encourage you to watch the TED Talk below. You are never too old to learn to play a musical instrument and allow your brain to become the orchestra of your own composition.
Happy Weekend!
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