Playing different instruments, singing, and other forms of musical practice in early childhood stimulate the development and improve the neuroplasticity of children’s brains.
According to research, the brains of people who are involved in music have stronger structural and functional connections compared to those of non-musicians, regardless of their musical level.
These connections are particularly elevated between the two hemispheres of the brain as well as within them, especially in areas of the brain responsible for processing sounds, such as music and speech.
One study involved 103 professional musicians and 50 non-musicians. Fifty-one of the musicians can recognize specific tones and pitches without the presence of notes, using only their hearing.
The team used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, structural magnetic resonance imaging, and diffusion tensor imaging to calculate connections in the participants’ brains.
The analysis found that the brains of all musicians were more connected structurally and functionally than those of non-musicians, particularly in the brain regions responsible for their speech and sound capabilities.
Stronger connections from the auditory cortex to other brain areas in the frontal, parietal, and temporal cortices, which are known to be involved in the control of higher cognitive functions such as memory, working ability, and executive functions, were also noted in the group of musicians.
The development of musical skills is not the only thing that stimulates individual neural connections in the brain. Scientists have observed positive changes in the brain as a result of practicing other activities at any age, including ballet, golf, and chess.
In the end, the obtained results support the theory that learning new things, especially singing and playing a musical instrument, has an extremely positive effect on the adolescent brain, which has not yet completed its development.
Learning any challenging skill has benefits for the brain, regardless of the age at which it is started.