You have probably read about the trend out a few years ago among pregnant women, where they were playing Mozart music to their babies while they were in the womb. Why? Because research suggested it made the baby smarter from the beginning, the very beginning. For years now, music students have been scoring higher on their SATs. It appears that playing an instrument, and more specifically the piano, does make you smarter. Here are the facts:
Two sides to the story
We all have two sides to our brain. One side is colorful and creative; the other side is logical and analytical. Everyday activities tend to use either one side or the other but not necessarily both. The act of playing the piano lights up both sides of the brain, blending the artist with reason. You are working your brain twice as hard as normal.
Reading music and math
Reading music can be compared to math and numerous studies have made this connection. Basically, both contain letters and symbols that need to be understood to make sense. Once you ascertain what they mean and how they work together, the letters and symbols become logical in your mind. The entire brain reacts to music in a similar way that it does to math.
Memory game
By recounting piece after piece of music, like an experienced pianist can, the brain is constantly being trained and challenged to work hard. This keeps your brain active and alive all the time, instead of passively dozy like it becomes in front of the television. This act of ‘exercising’ your brain makes it more alert mentally than others who do not engage their brain in an activity such as playing the piano. As a result, their reactions are naturally slower.
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2012
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