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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : May 9, 2014 10:44 AM IST
Do not junk your singing or classical music training class as there is a healthier side to it. Just half an hour of simple music training daily increases blood flow to a particular area of brain that processes language skills. According to researchers at the University of Liverpool, a brief musical training can increase the blood flow in the left hemisphere of our brain.
'The areas of our brain that process music and language are thought to be shared and previous research has suggested that musical training can lead to the increased use of the left hemisphere of the brain,' said Amy Spray from University of Liverpool's school of psychology. During the research, the team carried out two separate studies which looked at brain activity patterns in musicians and non-musicians. (Read: Music works wonders in treating neurological disorders)
The first study looked for patterns of brain activity in 14 musicians and nine non-musicians, while they participated in music and word generation tasks. The results showed that patterns in the musician's brains were similar in both tasks but this was not the case for the non-musicians. In the second study, brain activity patterns were measured in a different group of non-musical participants who took part in a word generation task and a music perception task. (Read: Music can actually soothe physical pain!)
The measurements were also taken again following half an hour's musical training. They were fascinated to see the similarities in blood flow signatures. This study looked into the modulatory effects that musical training could have on the use of the different sides of the brain when performing music and language tasks. 'We can assume that musical training results in a rapid change in the cognitive mechanisms utilised for music perception and these shared mechanisms are usually employed for language,' said Liverpool psychologist Georg Mayer. (Read: Clinical Music Therapy a new hope for personality disorders)
What are reasons playing a musical instrument is great for your brain?
All of us cannot create music as powerful and soothing as that of Eric Clapton, and our tunes may not become a part of history enriching many lives. Yet, we should not be discouraged and play an instrument anyway. Not because we might be able to create divine art, but because it is healthy! Below are some reasons why.
1. Makes you more intelligent
According to a study conducted by Harvard neurologist Gottfried Schlaug, adult musicians who played instruments had more grey matter in their brain than those who didn't.
'What's unique about playing an instrument is that it requires a wide array of brain regions and cognitive functions to work together simultaneously, in both right and left hemispheres of the brain,', Allison Balbag, a professional harpist who has a Ph.D. on the impact of music on health told National Geographic.
2. Makes you more confident
Whether you are a confident guitarist that women love or an obscure keyboard player who struggles to express himself in public, playing an instrument helps any person feel more confident. The basic fact that you know how to do something that not everyone knows is something to be proud of, and while the instrument is in your hand there's little else you can think about except the notes you have to hit, and the emotion with which you have to hit them. Such an act of expression will definitely make you feel better and confident, regardless of the failures you experience in life. Read more reasons playing a musical instrument is great for your brain...
With inputs from IANS
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