Brain pathways - and even whole networks - are strengthened when they are used and are weakened when they are not used. Why is that so important? Well, have you ever heard the expression, “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it”? It turns out this is actually true in the brain. Okay, so music activates just about all of the brain. In fact, it has been theorized that it is the activation of the brain’s motor system that allows us to pick out the beat of the music even before we start tapping our foot to it! Use it or lose it

And, interestingly, music activates the motor system. Music also activates a variety of memory regions. The parts of the brain involved in emotion are not only activated during emotional music, they are also synchronized. Of course, music activates the auditory cortex in the temporal lobes close to your ears, but that’s just the beginning. Music has been shown to activate some of the broadest and most diverse networks of the brain. Music activates just about all of the brain How can music have such impressive brain effects? Although we don’t know the answers for sure, developments in cognitive neuroscience over the last few years have allowed us to speculate on some possible mechanisms. It may be equally likely that those children brought up in more affluent households were both more likely to be exposed to music and to be given a good education that led to their being able to easily learn new things later in life.īut let’s assume that the results of the AARP survey are indeed true. They do not prove that, for example, it was the exposure to music as a child that led to one’s improved ability to learn new things. Lastly, even if the ratings were true, the findings are only correlations. For example, although people might report their brain health as “excellent,” there was no objective measure of brain health such as an MRI scan, or even a test to measure their cognition. For another, it is really a survey of people’s opinions. For one, it included 3,185 US adults ages 18 and older that is a small number if you are extrapolating to 328 million people across the country. However, this 20-minute online survey has some limitations. Those are pretty impressive results, to be sure.

Adults with no early music exposure but who currently engage in some music appreciation show above average mental well-being scores.

Active musical engagement, including those over age 50, was associated with higher rates of happiness and good cognitive function.

Of those who reported often being exposed to music as a child, 68% rated their ability to learn new things as “excellent” or “very good,” compared to 50% of those who were not exposed to music.

Of survey respondents who currently go to musical performances, 69% rated their brain health as “excellent” or “very good,” compared to 58% for those who went in the past and 52% for those who never attended.Music listeners had higher scores for mental well-being and slightly reduced levels of anxiety and depression compared to people overall.Can music really affect your well-being, learning, cognitive function, quality of life, and even happiness? A recent survey on music and brain health conducted by AARP revealed some interesting findings about the impact of music on cognitive and emotional well-being:

Quotes about listening to live musi