The Brain Needs Music

Contributed by Sara Stringer

Girl Music BrainThere are some forms of expression that are intrinsically human. Language and art, for example, seem to be solely the realm of homo sapiens (that’s us). Music, though, (and singing specifically) pre-dates modern humans. In fact, scientists are pretty sure that music and singing were the predominate form of communication in pre-humans, specifically the Neanderthals–though fossilized evidence shows us that even pre-Neanderthals had the physical mechanisms for producing complex sounds.

The Science

In addition to the fossilized evidence of our physical ability to produce complex sounds (music), there is now also neurological evidence that proves our brains process music differently than other sounds and evolutionary norms like spoken language, emotions, etc.

Until recently, the most widely accepted scientific theory said that our ability to process music was stored in a very specific area of the brain, much like our ability to process language, control our motor functions, experience basic senses like touch, taste, etc. Testing has proven, however, that when listening to music, different and very separate parts of our brains work together. In other words, as quoted in Scientific American, scientists believe,

“There is no grossly identifiable brain structure that works solely during music cognition. However, distinctive patterns of neural activity within the auditory cortex and other areas of the brain may imbue specificity to the processing of music.”

It’s a romantic idea–the idea that our earliest form of communication might have been singing. That it was our long lost ancestor’s attempts to replicate the sounds made by birds and their discovery of the ability to call out to other early humans is what brought us down out of the trees and lead to our grouping behaviors and the earliest forms of culture and what we now call civilization.

What scientists have proven now, though, is that the idea isn’t entirely romantic. Listening to and making music fundamentally–if temporarily–changes the way our bodies function. According to Wired Magazine,

“The pupils in our eyes dilate, our pulse and blood pressure rise, the electrical conductance of our skin is lowered, and the cerebellum, a brain region associated with bodily movement, becomes strangely active. Blood is even re-directed to the muscles in our legs. (Some speculate that this is why we begin tapping our feet.) In other words, sound stirs us at our biological roots.”

Music as a Drug?

In fact, music affects us so deeply and so completely that many athletes, runners in particular, have been banned from listening to music during competitions. For example, during the Marine Corps Marathon, anybody who is competing for prizes or for money must leave their ipods, mp3 players, etc. behind and run “bare.”

According to the American Psychological Association, listening to music increased the body’s production of antibodies and “killer cells”–the cells that attack viruses and bacteria that make us sick. Playing music in emergency rooms has also helped calm patients and make them easier to treat.

And, of course, we all know that focusing on sound helps with meditation and mindfulness practices.

What About Playing Music?

If the simple act of listening to music has so many benefits, what about playing music? It turns out that there are some pretty awesome benefits associated with playing music too. Playing an instrument, says Ted Ed, is like giving yourself a full brain workout.

Playing music improves memory, cognitive functioning, and our ability to process auditory signals.

Science has also proven that learning an instrument as a child improves the child’s ability to learn and that kids who play instruments do better in school, have better language skills and are generally more successful as adults. This is just one reason it is important, as a parent, to make sure your kids learn how to play at least one instrument when they are young.

How Old is Too Old?

There is some thought that says if someone hasn’t learned how to play an instrument by the time they are an adult, then they likely won’t ever learn, but guess what. While it might take an adult longer to master an instrument (reprogramming ingrained neurological functioning is difficult!), there is no such thing as being too old to learn to play music.

In fact, according to LessonRating.com, if you really focus on practicing, and find the right teacher, anybody, regardless of his or her age, should be able to master whatever instrument they choose.

So if you have been feeling guilty about the amount of time you spend listening to music or hesitating about trying to learn to play that piano you bought years ago, know that the science is in: music is a part of you. Listen, play and enjoy the benefits of both!

Photo: freedigitalphotos.net

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