Making music is extremely good for developing brains. Psychologist Dr. Frances Rauscher and neuroscientist Gordon Shaw have conducted many studies with young children investigating the relationship between music and brain development, all of which suggest that early exposure to music increases abilities in other areas, including maths and language.
They found that pre-schoolers who took music lessons did better at spatial and temporal reasoning tasks than those who received computer lessons. Subsequent studies at Brigham Young University suggest similar benefits can be seen by engaging children with music during their infant years, when their brains are developing the most.
Finally, Dr. Diane Bales suggests that listening to classical music only has temporary benefits, whilst musical instruction has longer-lasting effects because it actually creates new pathways in the brain. To find out more, please visit Cara Betama’s website.
There’s also this great Ted talk by Anita Collins, who demonstrates how playing a musical instrument strengthens your brain functions. It’s under 5 minutes long, so grab a cup of tea and enjoy!
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