Effect on the Brain of Playing Instruments. TED-Ed looks at the effect of music - listening to it, and playing it - on the human brain.

You may think that listening to music is a waste of time and playing it is even worse, but this animation will set you straight if you believe that.

In fact, musicians have better-integrated brains than others. It impacts memory functions, meaning that playing instruments helps your memory.

Apparently, you don't have to keep playing the instrument to gain the benefits. If you ever spent time learning to play an instrument, you will have the enhancement of mental function in several areas.

It's a pretty cool animation - especially if you played the flute in the band in 7th grade. See, it paid off after all!

Scientists can now watch what is happening in the brain in real time.

From the youtube page:

When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout. What's going on? Anita Collins explains the fireworks that go off in musicians' brains when they play, and examines some of the long-term positive effects of this mental workout.

Lesson by Anita Collins, animation by Sharon Colman Graham.

2020