Music on the Mind--The Corpus Callosum

This is an exerpt from a NEWSWEEK article by Sharon Begley.

The brain seems to be a sponge for music and, like a sponge in water, is changed by it. The brain's left and right hemispheres are connected by a big trunk line called the corpus callosum. When they compared the corpus callosum in 30 nonmusicians with the corpus callosum in 30 professional string and piano players, researchers led by Dr. Gottfried Schlaug of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston found striking differences. The front part of this thick cable of neurons is larger in musicians, especially if they began their training before the age of 7. The front of the corpus callosum connects the two sides of the prefrontal cortex, the site of planning and foresight. It also connects the two sides of the premotor cortex, where actions are mapped out before they're executed. "These con-nections are critical for coordinating fast, bi-manual movements" such as those a pianist's hands execute in an allegro movement, says Schlaug. The neural highway connecting the right and left brain may explain something else, too. The right brain is linked to emotion, the left to cognition. The greatest musicians, of course, are not only masters of technique but also adept at infusing their playing with emotion. Perhaps this is why.

This article entitled

Will Music Make You Smarter?

also supports children beginning music before age 7 and a more developed corpus callosum.

Kindermusik is such a terrific program for children during their formative years. The greatest neural growth occurs befor age 2 so having your child in a developmentally appropriate music program will help prepare them for success in all areas of life. However, all is not lost if you are older then age 7 or even a senior. Studies have shown in the last few years that the brain is very plastic if we continually give it new challenges such as learning an instrument. Make music part of your life--you won't regret it.