MusicandtheBrain

Musichasbeenapartofthehumanraceformillennia
.
Ithaschangedgreatlyyetnotat
alloverthecourseoftimetowhatitittoday,butwhydowehaveit?Researchersaretryingto
figureoutthereasonwhypeoplelistentoorperformmusic
.
Withnewtechnologicaladvancesit
hasbecomeeasiertoseejusthowthebrainisdifferentbetweenpeople
.
Itisnowbelievedby
researchersthatmusicinherentlychangesthebrain
.
Throughdiscriminatingsounds,enhancing
neuralplasticity,andinfluencingthewaythebrainworks,musichasanoticeableimpactonour
lives
.
InapaperbyBesson,APhDworkingatAixMarseilleUniversit,shestatesthat
resultsofmanyexperimentsintheneuroscienceofmusichaveshownthatmusiciansare
particularlysensitivetotheacousticstructureofsounds(Besson)
.
Manymusicstudentscan
makeoutthedifferencesintone(soundquality),pitch(soundfrequency),andintensity(also
knownasvolumeorloudness)withlittleproblem
.
Mostpeoplecanpickoutthesedifferencesas
well,buttoalesserdegreethanthosetrainedinmusic
.
Bytakingmusiclessonsorstudying
sound,itmakesiteasiertopickoutthesubtlerdifferencesinsounds
.
Oneofthethingsthathelp
musicianstellthesedifferencesisthehigherlevelofactivationin[the]primaryandsecondary
auditorycortex(Besson)
.
Thehigheractivationhelpstodistinguishthesoundsstructural
differencesfromothersounds.Butthisisnotlimitedtomusicisions
.
Anyonewhostudiessound
orlistenstoandfocusesonthemakeupofsoundshastheabilitytodistinguishasoundsmake
upaswell
.
Though,asHabib,PhDatUZH,saidmusiciansdemonstratemoresensitive

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discriminationabilitiesformusicalsoundscomparedtononmusicians(Habib)
.
Thisdoesnot
meanthatnonmusicianscantdiscriminateatthesamelevel,butthatmostmusiciansarebetter
atdiscerningthanmostnonmusicians
.
Collins,PhDandAssistantProfessorofMusicandArtsEducationattheUniversityof
Canberra,mentionsthatmusiceducationhasbeenfoundtoencouragehighlevelsofplasticity
intheauditorycortexandfrontalcortex(Collins)
.
Thistypeofplasticityreferstothebrains
abilitytochangeitsneuralpathwaysbasedonwhathasbeenlearnedandwhathashappened,
whetherdirectlyorindirectly,tothebrain
.
Brainplasticityiscrucialforahealthybrainandis
mostoftenmentionedinconjunctionwithabraininjury
.
Collinsalsosaysthatthisplasticity
allowsforhigherlevelsofcreativityanddivergentthinkingaswellasimprovedbrainhealthinto
laterlife(A)
.
Partofbrainhealthishearing,andKraus,PhDandprofessoratNorthwestern
University,statesthatagerelateddeclinesinauditoryprocessingarenotinevitable(Kraus)
.
Thereareargumentsaboutwhetherlisteningtomusicmakesyouloseyourhearingfasterorif
learningmusicwithhelpprolongthedecline
.
Krausmentionsthatthedeclinesmaybeoffsetby
thequalityandconsistencyofeverydayauditoryexperience(Kraus)
.
Thismeansthatlistening
toorperformingmusiccanhelpwiththedecline,butitwillnotstopitfromhappening
.
The
brainsplasticityhelpswithretentionofthisabilitybecauseoftheexposuretotheauditory
stimulation
.
Manypeoplealsobelieveinwhatiscalledthebeethoveneffect
.
Thisisthebeliefthat
listeningtobeethovenmakesyousmarter
.
Therehasbeensomeresearchonthis,mainlydealing
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withhavingpeoplelistentobeethovenbeforeorduringtesting
.
Thehypothesisonthisisthatthe
musicaffectsthebrainwavesinawaytomakeiteasiertorecallthings
.
And,asDemorest,PhD
andworksatNorthwesternUniversity,andMorrison,PhDandworksattheUniversityof
Washington,saythoughtheresultsareinteresting,thereisalongwaytogobeforeestablishing
anddirectconnectionbetweenmusicalorganizationandtheinnerworkingsofthemind
(Demorest34)
.
Bysayingthis,theyarepracticallysayingthebeethoveneffectisnotprovedto
betrue,butacorrelationatthistime
.
Thissocalledeffectisknowntonotcausephysical
changesinthebrain
.
ifanychangesoccur,itishowtheneuronsfire
.
Onethingthatisknownto
betrueismusicdoeshaveinfluenceonthebrain
.
AsHaghshenasstatedMusicinfluencesmany
factorsincludingstresslevels,socialfeelings,selfconcept,activitylevelsandthereward
system(Haghshenas)
.
Manypeoplemaynotknowthisfact,butitispartofthereasonwhy
peoplelistentothetypeofmusictheydo
.
Forsomethelyricshelpthem,othersitmaybethe
rhythmofthesongorthemelody
.
Whateveritisthatcausesthechangesinmoodoroneself
throughmusic,weknowthatitworks
.
Musichasbeenseenhelpingpeople,butithasalsorecentlybeenarguedtobeatypeof
knowledge
.
Manyseemusicasatalentandnotintelligence
.
AsDemorestput,smartseemsto
describeacharacteristicthatisdesirableforallstudentstodeveloptalentedisconsideredan
admirabletraitthatsomepeoplemysteriouslyseemtopossess(Demorest34)
.
Thisisan
interestingnotion
.
Demorestalsosaysthatwhileintelligencecanbenurtured,itisassumedthat
talentiseitherpresentorabsentfrombirth(Demorst34)
.
Soifmusicisintelligence,whydont
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somepeoplehavetheabilitythatothersdowhenitcomestoperforming?Thismaybebecause
musiceducationtendstobeasHodges,PhDandprofessoratUNCG,statesreservedforthose
withtalentandrestrictedtothosewhocanafforditorwhoseparentsdeemitimportant
(Hodges)
.
Whenyouseekidsthatareinmusic,theyhavetohaveaninstrumentwhichmeans
theirparentsneedtohavemoney
.
Notonlythat,butmostparentswilltellchildrenitisawaste
oftimetobeinmusicandthattheywoulddobettertostudyandworkonschoolworkorplay
sportsinstead
.
Theculturenowadaysisgettingridofmusicasacoursetoencouragekidstotake
harderclasses
.
Ifmusicisanintelligencethan,asstatedbyGardnerstheory,eachwayof
knowingtheworldhasitsowninherentvalueandisworthyofstudyforitsownsake(Demorest
34)
.
Music,thoughnotconsideredintelligencebymost,hasbeneficialeffectsonthebrain
.
Throughresearchonsounddiscrimination,neuralplasticity,anditsinfluenceonthebrain,music
hassomehugeeffectsonusevenifwedontrealizeit
.
Musichasbeenaroundforaslongas
mancanremember,yetnooneknowswhywehaveit
.
Researchisnowtryingtofigureoutwhat
musicdoestousandwhywe,asthehumanrace,loveitsomuch
.

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