How does musical training affect brain development?
Darren Wei
Music irrefutably holds great importance in the history of humanity. It was present in the earliest known civilization and possibly even earlier than that as archaeologists have discovered primitive bone and ivory flutes dating back 43,000 years. 1 Music is present in every culture and transcends any language barrier. We listen to music all the time, whether it be for celebration or for stress relief; it is part of us. Music was made to be heard and therefore, we invented instruments to perform it. Along with these new inventions came a whole new set of skills for our brain to adapt to. This then begs the question: how, if at all, have our brains adapted to perform these new tasks and what are the effects?
Brain anatomy
To understand the effects of musical training we should familiarize ourselves with basic brain anatomy. The brain can be divided into three main sections (Fig. 1), the largest being the cerebrum which is responsible for carrying out the higher functions, such as interpreting different stimuli, as well as reasoning, emotions and learning. The cerebellum carries out motor functions for moving and balance. Finally, the brainstem acts as a relay centre for the brain and it also carries out other functions such as breathing and sleep cycles.
Anatomy of the brain https://mayfieldclinic.com/pe- anatbrain.htm
Fig.1:
Our primary area of concern will be the cerebrum (Fig. 2), considered to be the main area of the brain and where most of the changes were observed. The cerebrum is divided into hemispheres, the right and left, which can be broken down further into parts known as lobes that cooperate together to perform various tasks. All of our decisions, emotions and movement are regulated by the frontal lobe, with the parietal lobe located just behind, handling our language, spatial awareness and interpreting stimuli. Right at the back is our visual processing centre, the occipital lobe. Sandwiched in between is the temporal lobe: this is responsible for memory, hearing, sequencing and organization. 2
Fig. 2: Anatomy of the cerebellum
1 Andrew, E. What is the oldest known piece of music? https://www.history.com/news/what-is-the- oldest-known-piece-of-music ( 05/07/20 ) . 2 Hines, T. Anatomy of the Brain. https://mayfieldclinic.com/pe-anatbrain.htm. (01/07/20).
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