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Musical Brains

Both the decreasing availability of music education and the increasing prevalence of brain disorder, present significant societal and economic issues worldwide. Current evidence suggests that learning an instrument may enhance neurodevelopment, particularly when began before the age of 7, maturing a child's cognitive and emotional intelligence more quickly, thereby creating a more well-rounded adult. At the other end of life, music training may delay neurodegeneration and its effects, with life-long practice believed to decrease the risk of dementia by up to 36%. Thus, early music education may not only aid in healthy neurodevelopment but also nurture adults with a greater sense of balance, productivity and overall well-being throughout their lives, having both societal and economic benefits. 

This website aims to share this evidence by providing a timeline of a musician's brain - from picking up the violin in childhood to putting it down in late adulthood - to highlight the importance, and support the argument, of integrating music into early education (click here to learn more about this project). 

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Music

Whether listening to your first concerto, dancing your favourite song, or playing your final encore, music joins people of all cultures, times and identities. A musical education can be an invaluable tool in an individuals life, enhancing social skills, building discipline and nurturing creativity. This website will focus on the most active form of this education - instrument learning. Due to its extensive use of both the body and mind, learning an instrument is the most brain-engaging musical practice. 

... and the Brain

Neurogrid

Neurodevelopment 

is the process of 'brain building'. From just a few weeks old, a foetus's brain begins to grow and specialise. Healthy neurodevelopment allows children to maximise their brain function, however, unhealthy development can lead to disorders like Autism. 

Both our genes and the environment around us shape this process. The brain's ability to reshape itself in response to environmental change is termed neuroplasticity. Music, as a highly engaging activity, is believed to enhanced this  ability and accelerate its effects. 

From the moment you first press a piano key, new brain cells - neurons - begin to form and join together to remember the movement of your finger and the sound it created. When you first play a melody, these neurons multiply ten-fold, and with your first song, hundred-fold. Over time, and with consistent practice, these small changes accumulate into larger, more visible changes. First the increase in neurons allows more activation, or 'use', within these regions. Then, there is an increase in the grey matter - the brain tissue made up of these neurons - allowing even greater function, this change visible in MRI scans of professional pianists. 

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Neurodegeneration

is the process of 'brain deconstruction'. From around the age of 60, the brain begins to lose the neurons and connections that it made throughout life, leading to a loss of brain fuction. In healthy aging, this decline in gradual, however, when sped up this process can lead to neurogenerative disorders such as Dementia. 

Brain Health

is a measurement of an individual's brain function, often divided into 5 main categories: sensory, motor, cognitive, socio-emotional and behavioural.

These functions and the main structures that control them are summarised below: 

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  • Sensory
    • Sensory

    The sensory system allows us to recognise and understand the world around us through sight, touch, taste, hearing, and smell. The main areas involved are: 

    1 Somatosensory Cortex – locates the body's position and the position of objects around it e.g., pain 

    2 Primary Auditory Cortex – ‘hears’ sounds 

    3 Secondary Auditory Cortex – ‘understands’ sounds  

    4 Corpus Callosum – allows the two halves of the brain to communicate for faster understanding of the environment 

  • Motor
    • Motor

    The motor system allows us to control our body's movement from head to toe. The main areas involved are: 

    1 Primary Motor Cortex – initiates and controls conscious movement of the body 

    2 Premotor Cortex – plans and organises the movement

    3 Basal Ganglia – plans and organises movement, stopping unwanted movement

    4 Corpus Callosum – allows the two hemispheres to communicate for fast movement 

    5 Cerebellum – controls balance and coordination 

  • Cognitive
    • Cognitive

    The cognitive system allows us to collect knowledge and apply it to new situations. The main areas involved are: 

    1 Prefrontal Cortex – higher-order thinking e.g., executive functions (EFs): 

    - Inhibition - the ability to tune out irrelevant stimuli during a task 

    - Working memory - short term memory allowing attention during tasks 

    - Cognitive flexibility - the ability to switch attention between two tasks 

    2 Broca’s area – within the prefrontal cortex, responsible for speech production 

    3 Basal Ganglia – chooses and maintains executive functions

    4 Cingulate Cortex – cognitive control of complex tasks

    5 Corpus Callosum – allows the two hemispheres to communicate for higher-order cognitive function 

    6 Hippocampus – making and keeping long-term memories

  • Socio-emotional
    • Socio-emotional

    The socio-emotional system allows us to express and manage emotions whilst understanding others, and building lasting relationships. The main areas involved are: 

    1 Prefrontal Cortex – speech, impulse control, empathy

    2 Cingulate Cortex – emotional regulation, decision making

    3 Basal Ganglia – reward & motivation, habit formation

    4 Hippocampus – emotional processing & regulation

  • Behavioural
    • Behavioural

    The behavioural system allows us to combine and put into practice sensory, motor, cognitive and socioemotional functions. The main areas involved are: 

    1 Prefrontal Cortex – planning, impulse control, empathy 

    2 Cingulate Cortex – emotional regulation, decision making, spatial processing

    3 Basal Ganglia – movement coordination, habits

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What evidence is there for the role of music education in brain health throughout life?

Children and Adolescents

Children and Adolescents

CLICK HERE
Adults

Adults

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Older Adults

Older Adults

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