Essay Sample on The Power of Music: Enhancing Brain Development

Introduction

Music can simply be defined as an organized sound. This piece of art has a vital role in the human sustainment, growth, and development from as early as during fetus development in the womb to late adulthood. Human beings use music in the expression of emotions, group bonding, and leisure. Many psychologists have researched on a scientific possibility of music to impact on brain development. While some studies have proven enhancement of different children's abilities through musical activities, no substantial evidence has so far been documented on the effect of music on brain development. This paper will give a discussion of the impact of music on children before and after birth. The study will also provide an analysis of the effects music generates on the human brain and overall health.

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Music and Prenatal Development

The effect of music on human beings begins during fetus development in the womb. Fetuses can hear sounds several weeks before birth. The growing baby recognizes the mother's voice and associates it with comfort and remembers the voice even after delivery. Hence, this concept directly applies to music. Researchers suggest that the musical sounds the fetus experiences while in the womb are likely to impact on the child's development. Although no study has conclusively related music to a child's brain development, some researches conducted with rat subjects validate the effect of music on growth progression. However, renowned psychologists such as Ani Patel, a Tufts University professor, suggest that although musing may be contemplative and relaxing, there lacks a scientific proof of a positive impact on brain development. Patel further acknowledges that some studies show a significant impact of the art of playing a musical instrument to varying human abilities, including multitasking, interpretation of emotions from sound, and speech perception skills.

Music and Childhood Development

Previous studies have proven that children's early exposure to music positively impacts on their sense of self, emotional, and physical awareness. Howard Gardner, a Harvard psychologist, equated the intelligence of music to mathematical, intrapersonal, kinesthetic, linguistic, interpersonal, and spatial aptitude (Shearer, 2018). The American developmental psychologist suggested that music promotes all of the above aspects of child development. Participating in any music-related activity involves the use of both the cognitive and creative skills of a child. Hence, all the parts of the brain usually get engaged during listening, singing, dancing along, or playing a musical instrument.

When a child sings and dances to a piece of favorite music, many developmental skills are enhanced. First, dancing entails rhythm, coordination, and balance. A masterly of these talents improve both self-expression and motor skills, which are vital elements in child development (Dumont et al., 2017). Singing and dancing involve simultaneous coordination of the two activities, which enhances the cognitive abilities of the young one singing along a piece of music also reinforces a child's language and communication skills. Similarly, the art of timing and maintenance of a steady music beat improves the knowledge of subliminal mathematics. The child's emotional intelligence is also engaged and strengthened, as music usually involves feelings, passion, and emotions.

Vital social skills are also developed through music (Shulkin & Raglan, 2014). Through singing, dancing, or playing musical instruments in groups, children get enlightened about the significance of working and cooperating with others. Solo pieces train children on independence. Since a child's birth, music is actively used by most parents as a tool to soothe their infants. Consequently, the caregivers progressively improve on the use of natural instincts to benefit their children and impact development. A study in the year 2016 by scholars in the Brain and Creativity Institute, North Carolina, revealed that musical experiences in the early years of life increase the rate of brain growth, particularly in reading and language development skills. Similarly, according to the U.S. based foundation, the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), the learning of mathematics, and the general performance in Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) can be improved through the playing of a musical instrument.

The Effect of Music on Human Health and Brain Development

The human central nervous system, through the human brain, helps people to distinguish between noise and music. Consequently, human beings can respond to tunes, rhythm, and tones. Study findings suggest that there exists a considerable difference between the brains of musicians and non-musicians (Schulkin & Raglan, 2014). Although the mind of any healthy person can perceive music, musician's brains are more accustomed to more complex musical tasks. Similarly, people with mental impairments consequently have remarkable musicality defects.

The Mozart Effect is the most recognized study finding that displays music's' mental influence. Researchers from the University of California noted an enhanced mathematical ability among musicians as compared to non-musicians. The scholars reported that people who listened to the Mozart piano sonata displayed boosted Intelligent Quotient (IQ) as compared to persons who either listened to a relaxation tape or waited in silence during the experiment period. A subsequent experiment using a repetitive song, and Mozart's music similarly showed improved spatial reasoning for the latter (MacDonald, Kreutz & Mitchel, 2013). Further studies have suggested that music positively impacts on health outcomes.

Conclusion

Music has a positive effect on human development. Fetuses get comforted by musical sounds from their mothers' womb before birth. The child is usually able to identify the mother's voice even after delivery. Similarly, music positively impacts on the cognitive and social development of children in their early years of life. Through music, a child's emotional, physical, and self-awareness are enhanced. Psychologists' previous studies on the effect of music on brain development are inconclusive. However, many research findings suggest that music can improve health outcomes.

References

Dumont, E., Syurina, E., Feron, F., & Hooren, S. (2017). Music interventions and child development: A critical review and further directions. Frontiers in Psychology, 8(1694), 1-20. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01694

MacDonald, R., Kreutz, G., & Mitchell, L. (2013). Music, health, and wellbeing. Oxford University Press.

Schulkin, J. & Raglan, G. (2014). The evolution of music in human social capability. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 8(292), 1-13. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00292Shearer, B. (2018). Multiple intelligences in teaching and education: Lessons learned from neuroscience. Journal of Intelligence, 6(3), 1-8. doi: 10.3390/jintelligence6030038Bottom of Form