How classical music affects cognitive abilities

Musical training has recently gained additional interest in education as increasing neuroscientific research demonstrates its positive effects on brain development. Neuroimaging revealed plastic changes in the brains of adult musicians but it is still unclear to what extent they are the product of intensive music training rather than of other factors, such as pre-existing biological markers of musicality. In this review, we synthesize a large body of studies demonstrating that the benefits of musical training extend beyond the skills it directly aims to train and last well into adulthood. For example, children who undergo musical training have better verbal memory, second language pronunciation accuracy, reading ability, and executive functions. Learning to play an instrument as a child may even predict academic performance and IQ in young adulthood. The degree of observed structural and functional adaptation in the brain correlates with the intensity and duration of practice. Importantly, the effects on cognitive development depend on the timing of musical initiation due to sensitive periods during development, as well as on several other modulating variables. Notably, we point to motivation, reward, and social context of musical education, which are important yet neglected factors affecting the long-term benefits of musical training. Further, we introduce the notion of rhythmic entrainment and suggest that it may represent a mechanism supporting the learning and development of executive functions. It also hones temporal processing and orienting of attention in time that may underlie enhancements observed in reading and verbal memory. We conclude that musical training uniquely engenders near and far transfer effects, preparing a foundation for a range of skills, and thus fostering cognitive development. 

Improved memory 

A study from the Department of Medical Genetics, at the University of Helsinki, Finland, shows that listening to just 20 minutes of classical music a day can modulate the genes responsible for brain function and memory. During the study, participants who listened to classical music were more likely to be positively affected. The research team noted an increase in dopamine secretion, synaptic function, and the genes associated with learning and memory. This also included the gene synuclein-alpha (SNCA), which is often linked to how birds learn their song, suggesting the evolutionary background of sound perception and memory. In this same study, classical music down-regulated genes associated with neurodegenerative diseases. A happy brain is a healthy brain, and classical music – especially that that evokes positive memories – can increase dopamine and neuro connectivity in the system, slowing down the aging process. 

Assisted sleep 

A 2008 study by the Institute of Behavioral Science at Semmelweis University, Budapest, found that classical music induced a deep sleep in students struggling with sleep disorders – all because the music playing reduced sympathetic nervous system activity, decreased anxiety, and lowered the blood pressure of participants, helping the participants drift off to sleep. So why do classical tunes lull us into the land of nod, rather than pop or punk rock? Songs with an upbeat tempo and words can cause the brain to multitask and become overwhelmed. The slow tempo, tranquil melody, and soothing rhythm of classical music make it the perfect antidote to insomnia and help the body properly prepare for sleep