Effects of Music Training on the Child’s Brain and Cognitive Development

Research has revealed structural and functional differences in the
brains of adult instrumental musicians compared to those of matched nonmusician
controls, with intensity/duration of instrumental training and practice
being important predictors of these differences. Nevertheless, the
differential contributions of nature and nurture to these differences are not yet
clear. The musician–nonmusician comparison is an ideal model for examining
whether and, if so, where such functional and structural brain plasticity occurs,
because musicians acquire and continuously practice a variety of complex
motor, auditory, and multimodal skills (e.g., translating visually perceived musical
symbols into motor commands while simultaneously monitoring instrumental
output and receiving multisensory feedback). Research has also
demonstrated that music training in children results in long-term enhancement
of visual–spatial, verbal, and mathematical performance. However, the
underlying neural bases of such enhancements and whether the intensity and
duration of instrumental training or other factors, such as extracurricular activities,
attention, motivation, or instructional methods can contribute to or
predict these enhancements are yet unknown.