There are times when our brains are more “plastic” and we can develop neuropathways more easily. This early training time for music “which develops the posterior midbody containing the fibers that connect the sensorimotor cortices of the two hemispheres is between the ages of 6 and 8 years.”
“Playing a musical instrument requires the coordinated action of the two hands and interhemispheric interactions mediated by the CC have been shown to play a prominent role in bimanual coordination. The size of the CC has been shown to be related to bimanual task performance in children and adults.
Further, the size of the primary motor cortex connected through this region has been shown to be related to the age of onset of musical training. Early musical training, by requiring practice of bimanual skills, may place greater demands on interhemispheric interactions between sensorimotor regions, thus promoting the development of enhanced connections.”
The study stated, “In conclusion, our findings provide compelling evidence that early musical training can produce long-lasting changes in behavior and the brain. We propose that early training interacts with preexisting individual differences in brain organization and ongoing maturational processes to produce differential changes in white matter structure. Early musical experience may promote plasticity in motor and auditory connectivity that serves as a scaffold upon which ongoing training can build.”
So why am I excited about this study – what does it mean for the average person? As I have studied the various ways that music affects our bodies and enriches our lives, I have never ceased to be amazed at how integral music is to our very existence. If we can get our children involved in music at an early age, before 7 years old, it will give them a head start for better life.
I have kids come up to me after a concert and begin to ask me questions and want to try to play my harp. I am always eager to let them play and introduce them to the wonders of music, especially the harp. Now I know why I am so eager to get them introduced. If I can spark their desire to begin to learn music, it will have long-lasting wonderful benefits to offer them the rest of their lives.
Editor’s Note: Inclusion of the Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) in balance, omega 3 in particular, via mother’s milk and through a child's early diet is vital for early brain and neurological development. Thus, this is vital nutrient combined with quality music and an abundance of TLC will greatly enhance a child’s brain and neurological development.