The Healing Power of Music
Recent medical research confirms that ...
active engagement, not passive response, is what changes brain development.
musical involvement activates more areas of the brain than any other activity.
music is innate and is more foundational to our species than language.
music and speech have overlapping brain connections.
children with musical training exhibit better verbal memory skills than those without.
benefits of musical training are long-term, maintained even after instruction has been discontinued.
musical/rhythmic intelligence is present in every human at birth (none other of the intellectual capacities develop earlier).
participating in music helps strengthen and maintain brain cells and connections that deteriorate with age.
professional musicians have up to 130% more gray matter than non-musicians.
music participation encourages the two sides of the brain to work together effectively and efficiently.
musical memories may survive longer than non-musical memories and may be functionally available and accessible for persons with neurologic memory disorders (e.g., dementia, Alzheimer's).
musical memories may help trigger access to non-musical autobiographic recall.
Making music with your own hands involves the following areas of the brain:
-Broca's Area (expression of language)
-Cerebellum (motor skills)
-Primary Sensory Cortex (touch perception)
-Corpus Callosum (inter-hemispheric communication which helps with overall
effectiveness and efficiency of the brain)
