The Benefits of Playing a Musical Instrument

Neuroscientists have found that when musicians play their instruments, all sorts of fireworks go off in their brains. Different areas of the brain light up and work together in intricate, interrelated, and astonishingly fast sequences. So why is this? What makes playing a musical instrument so good for the brain?

What makes playing a musical instrument so good for the brain?

It turns out that when we play music, we're not just listening to it. We're also doing it. And that makes all the difference. Playing a musical instrument engages both the auditory and motor parts of our brains. This means that we not only hear the music, but we also have to physically make the movements necessary to produce the notes.?

And it's not just that different parts of the brain are being used. They're also working together in asynchronous yet coordinated ways. One study found that when piano players sight-read a piece of music, different parts of their brains were activated at different times. First, the auditory cortex would process the sound of the notes; then, the motor cortex would send signals to the muscles in the pianist's fingers; finally, the prefrontal cortex would plan out which keys to press next. All of this happened within a split second!?

This level of engagement explains why playing a musical instrument is linked to so many cognitive benefits. For example, research has shown that musicians have better verbal memory and processing speed than non-musicians. They also tend to perform better on tests of general intelligence, such as the Raven's Progressive Matrices test.?

In addition, neuroscientists have found that playing a musical instrument can actually change the structure and function of our brains. For example, one study found that professional violinists had larger brain volumes in areas associated with fine motor skills and auditory processing than non-musicians. Another study found that intensive piano training led to changes in white matter structure in beginner piano students' brains. These changes were associated with improved performance on tests of working memory and visuo-spatial processing (i.e., the ability to mentally manipulate images).?

So what makes playing a musical instrument so good for the brain? The answer is simple: when we play music, we're not just listening to it—we're also doing it. And that makes all the difference. Playing a musical instrument engages more areas of the brain than any other activity! So if you've ever wished you could learn to play an instrument but never had the time or opportunity, now is your chance!

About Monica Rouvellas

Monica Rouvellas is an entrepreneur, solicitor and academic. Monica is the founder of the Muzikboxx App an all-in-one app for music teachers and students with the aim to help teachers spend less time doing admin and time-wasting activities so that they can focus on teaching students, and the aim is to help students have support and resources at their fingertips to assist them with their at-home practice. To sign up for the Muzikboxx,?click here.

Monica is currently on staff at Macquarie Business School, Macquarie Law School, the University of Technology of Sydney, and Sydney University Business School.

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