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Northwestern University: Music Education Transforms The Brain [ Video]

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Northwestern University's Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory published a study regarding music instruction. Music education changes the teenage brain if the subjects participate in the program for at least two years.

The researchers found that brains change when teenagers study music. It enables teens to focus and process sound better. This milestone is a must for learning, as reported by WBEZ.

The study began in 2009 with Nina Kraus, Northwestern neurobiologist, as head of the research team. Her team measured the brains of students in UIC College Prep, three other Chicago public high schools, and another one in Evanston. Students were either members of the choir or of the band. The researchers obtained data by recording data of the student's brain waves as they produce sounds.

Music Education Develop Children To Be Problem Solvers

Richard Mextorf, Superintendent of Berks County Pennsylvania, said that when children learn music, they are learning skills that will be beneficial for them for a lifetime. They learn how to become contributors, connectors, and solvers, according to Reading Eagle.

Children read abstract musical symbols. These symbols form musical patterns that are complex. When students sing or play musical instruments, they show an understanding of complex pattern and relationship recognition. This is better enhanced when they manage it with digital data as they become solution providers.

Canadian Researchers Provide Evidence

Researchers based in Canada discovered that young children who study music show improved memory and exhibit different brain development compared to those who do not study music, according to Science Daily.

The findings also show that musically-trained children have better memory compared to those untrained children. The study was done in a year and the musically-trained children performed better in a memory test which showed a correlation with IQ, mathematics, verbal memory, literacy, and visual-spatial processing.

Musical education shows a great chance of improving the whole learning experience.

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