Discover the magic of learning a musical instrument

You may have heard about The Mozart Effect, a hypothesis that suggests listening to an orchestra perform pieces such as Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro will make you smarter. When the study came out, parents started playing classical music to their babies in the hope it would boost their IQ. The claim, however, turned out to be over-simplified. No research has ever demonstrated that merely listening to Mozart’s music can have a lasting impact on general intelligence or IQ. In fact, when peer-reviewed* studies have reported an effect, it has been confined to the domain of spatial reasoning skills, and the cognitive enhancement was only temporary. Subsequent studies also showed that while listening to his music may bring you joy, it won’t raise your IQ. Penn Medicine experts in the US went on to suggest it’s the people who are playing in the orchestra who derive the most benefits. What’s more, study upon study shows that there are many benefits that come out of playing a musical instrument. ‘Music kids do better’ According to University of Western Australia (UWA) professor Alan Lourens, head of The Conservatorium of Music, teachers have known for generations that “music kids do better”. These kids are better at listening and they have improved numeracy and literacy, he explained. “We always figured it was because smart kids play music,” Prof Lourens told GenWest, “but now we know – playing music makes you smarter.” He said this is because, firstly, music engages huge parts of the brain. “From the physical actions of playing recorder, where our fine motor skills are honed covering the holes, or the very fine impact of locating a pitch on a violin, our motor cortex* is active,” Prof Lourens said. “It’s no surprise that the listening parts of the brain are developed, but we also know that the visual cortex* is activated. “Music kids have an advantage in both listening to their teachers and colleagues, as well as taking in the world around them.” ‘Academically one year ahead’ Playing a musical instrument also helps us deal with difficult emotions, he added. “Music tweaks the emotions,” explains Prof Lourens, “so we know that students undertaking musical activity have better control of their emotions and are able to respond to emotional situations in a more nuanced and complex matter. “We know that students who engage with music will be better at self-regulation – that is, changing their own mood – than those who do not.” While no particular sonata* will make you smarter, studies have shown kids who play an instrument perform better academically. Prof Lourens cited a 2019 piece of research out of Canada featuring 112,916 students across grades seven to 12. He said when scientists looked at the outcomes of these students in grades 10 and 12, they found “highly engaged instrumental music students were, on average, academically over one year ahead of their peers.” Prof Lourens also noted that a “disproportional amount” of public leaders, and winners of academic prizes for that matter, have been musicians at some stage of their life. In fact Howard Gardner, the author of multiple intelligence theories, declared music is itself an intelligence - one of eight intelligences that we use to navigate the world around us. Gardner proposes that intelligence is not limited to what we might call IQ, but is a collection of seven, eight or nine different intelligences. Put simply, this means that just because you’re no good at mathematics or science, you are not stupid, because your intelligence may simply lie in other areas. “In learning to play music, we are developing this intelligence,” Prof Lourens explained. “To date, there have been so very many studies that demonstrate that the connections between the left and right-hand sides of the brain are massively strengthened by making music.” He said this is actually a key skill for your future development because the stronger the connections are between your brain hemispheres, the stronger the link is between your creative and analytical thinking. Prof Lourens, who teaches conducting, directs the orchestra and other ensembles at UWA and composes music for, and plays, the euphonium, said playing an instrument is a complex task. American conductor and composer Gunther Schuller described 14 tasks that a musician undertakes for every note. This remarkable list of tasks included making and hearing the sound, comparing it to the world around us, and evaluating it against others. “Students who play are learning to multi-task to make some quite complex tasks automatic so that they can concentrate on the important tasks,” Prof Lourens explained. Helps kids make friends However, he pointed out that playing an instrument isn’t just about developing a sharper mind. It also helps you make friends. “Music is a social activity,” Prof Lourens said, adding it also promotes team work among other important social skills that are crucial to success in later life. “Whether you are a five-year-old playing xylophone or a 17-year-old in a band, you have to work with others. “You have to subjugate your feelings to the task; sometimes you have to follow; sometimes to lead. We do this every day that we play. “These human interactions are so important in an increasingly online world. “Ensembles can rarely perform virtually, and not without more effort than performing in the same room, so playing an instrument will make you connected socially in a way we all crave.” Perhaps you have found yourself tinkering at the ivories or placing a bow on a friend’s violin and making a lovely sound and now want to know more about learning a musical instrument. Here, Professor Lourens answers some common questions. What is the best age to start learning a musical instrument? We know that kids get benefit from engaging in music for their entire lives. We teach students to decode language through singing; at first to them, and later with them. You should engage with music as soon as possible – with your parents and later in more formal settings. It will set you up strongly both physically (in terms of gross* and fine motor skills*) and intellectually. As to which instrument to play, much depends on what you are excited about. We know that there is considerable benefit for students engaging in playing an instrument for three years before the age of 12, and playing one that excites them is half the battle. There are physical limitations, however. You need to have a certain physical strength to play some instruments (like saxophone) or a certain size (like trombone). However, the instrument you start on doesn’t need to be the instrument you play forever. Most students can start an instrument in their middle-primary years. Which instrument is best to start learning on? Professor Lourens, in no particular order, says: Strings The string instruments are generally started quite young. These instruments can be made in various sizes so are ideal for very young students (such as those learning through the Suzuki method). Hot tip – there is a world shortage of viola players. Master that instrument and you will be in strong demand. Woodwind The woodwind family includes the flute, clarinet and saxophone. Generally, people who play these instruments start in the middle-primary years. However, they can start younger on recorder and then move to flute or clarinet. The double reeds – oboe and bassoon – are also in demand around the world. Brass The brass instruments require you to buzz into the mouthpiece to make a sound. Most brass players start on trumpet. Many often move onto trombone, tuba or euphonium. The French horn is also popular. There is a physical issue with these instruments - both size and your oral structure* - and that may have an effect on the instrument. Piano Very popular, piano allows students to make music on their own. But the disadvantage is that students make music on their own. Many students start piano at a very young age, but pushing through the early stages takes some patience. Percussion Percussion – things that you hit – includes the tuned percussion, like xylophone or marimba, and the untuned – such as drum kit and cymbals. Percussion is a very physical instrument that needs good coordination. What parents need to know Prof Lourens says: Benjamin Bloom was an educational psychologist who conducted a landmark study into award-winning musicians and athletes. It was this study that gave us the 10,000 hours outcome. He stated that this is the amount of time it takes to become an expert on your instrument or area. However his biggest finding was what it took to get there. There was only one overriding factor that made any difference in all of the people he studied who went on to win Grammy Awards and Olympic medals. There was a single factor that made a measurable difference in their lives that all these champions and experts had in common. That was the unwavering support of friends and family. What the studies say about the benefits of learning a musical instrument Prof Lourens cites: 2005 - GOTTFRIED SCHLAUG, ANDREA NORTON, KATIE OVERY, AND ELLEN WINNER Research has also demonstrated that music training in children results in long-term enhancement of visual–spatial, verbal, and mathematical performance. 2013 – Anita Kar (Montreal Neurologial Institute and Hospital) “Musical training before the age of seven has a significant effect on the development of the brain, showing that those who began early had stronger connections between motor regions – the parts of the brain that help you plan and carry out movements.” 2010 Nina Kraus, Hugh Knowles Professor of Neurobiology, Physiology and Communication Sciences at Northwestern University “Playing an instrument may help youngsters better process speech in noisy classrooms and more accurately interpret the nuances of language that are conveyed by subtle changes in the human voice,” 2004 E. Glenn Schellenberg, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada Random assignment of a large sample of children (N 5 144) to two different types of music lessons (keyboard or voice) or to control groups that received drama lessons or no lessons. IQ was measured before and after the lessons. Compared with children in the control groups, children in the music groups exhibited greater increases in full-scale IQ. GLOSSARY * Peer-reviewed: This process subjects an author’s scholarly work, research, or ideas to the scrutiny of others who are experts in the same field (peers) and is considered necessary to ensure academic scientific quality. (Source: usgs.gov) * Motor cortex: The primary function of the motor cortex is to generate signals to direct the movement of the body. It is part of the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, controlling and execution of voluntary movements. (Source: National Library of Medicine; pubmed.ncbi) * Visual cortex: This is the primary cortical region of the brain that receives, integrates, and processes visual information relayed from the retinas. (Source: National Institutes of Health) * Sonata: A piece of music in three or four parts, either for a piano or for another instrument. (Source: dictionary.cambridge.org) * Gross motor skills: Those which require whole body movement and which involve the large (core stabilising) muscles of the body to perform everyday functions such as standing and walking, running and jumping, and sitting upright at the table.. (Source: understood.org) * Fine motor skills: The ability to make movements using the small muscles in our hands and wrists. We rely on these skills to do key tasks in school, at work and in everyday life. (Source: understood.org) * Oral structure: The visible components inside the mouth including the lips, cheeks, teeth, gums, hard and soft palates and floor of the mouth. (Source: Britannica.com) More: Read about a young WASO musician’s musical journey.