Music and Neuroplasticity

Music surrounds us. We hear it on the radio, at the grocery store, in public places, and in movies. But is music simply entertainment? Is it merely an exploited medium of a multi-million dollar, worldwide industry? No. These exceptional sound waves which humanity calls music are more than meet the ear. They powerfully affect the human brain and mind, influencing cognitive abilities and physical and mental functions including Interhemispheric processing, visuospatial processing, and emotions. Engaging with music through playing a musical instrument or listening to certain genres has the power to physically alter and aid the brain due to the brain’s extraordinary property known as neuroplasticity.

In order to comprehend the affect of music on neuroplasticity, it’s vital to explore the terms’ interpretations. Firstly, what is music? Aristotle once remarked, “It is not easy to determine the nature of music or why anyone should have a knowledge of it” (Web). Although music eludes a simple definition, it has particular, discernible attributes: pitch, timbre, cultural influences, and ability to evoke emotions. Pitch is a sensation produced by a range of frequencies, wherein the fundamental frequency is most salient and thus perceived as the most important. According to Diana Deutsch in The Psychology of Music, pitch is “arguably the most important dimension for conveying music” (9). Once the music is produced, the human ear’s ability to differentiate its source (for example, the instrument or voice producing the sound) is due to the sound’s timbre. As such, it is “one of the primary perceptual vehicles for the recognition, identification, and tracking over time of a sound source (singer’s voice, clarinet, set of carillon bells) an...

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...Caroline Leaf explains that emotions form their “own chemical “signature,” . . . with a resultant chemical reaction in our brains and bodies” (187). However, if music is used to induce emotions of peace and relaxation, the brain will respond positively due to neuroplasticity.

For many, music is a passion and career. For others, an enjoyable hobby. Most people would no doubt agree with Plato, that music “gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” Music’s ability to increase and enhance interhemispheric processing, strengthen visuospatial processing, and evoke emotions which physically affect the brain makes music one of the world’s most powerful agents to heal, teach, and help humanity to lead productive, fulfilling lives. As Hans Christian Anderson once said, “where words fail, music speaks.”