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Joban Aguilar

Dr. Donna Andrews

EDSS 390015 October 2014

Reflections on an Article

In the Education Week article “Music Sharpens Brain Pathways, Studies Say,” writer

Sarah D. Sparks discusses the affects that musical learning has on the brain. Musical students

have to use several parts of their brain at the same time. Sparks uses the example of a YouthOrchestra LA violinist as she is playing the violin with her hands, using her eyes to read the

music notes and simultaneously using her peripheral vision to see the conductor’s given tempo,

and audibly focusing on her own sound as well as the sounds of the musicians around her. There

is so much going on! The brain is a fascinating thing for being able to comprehend all of thesethings happening at once. I distinctly remember back when I first started playing music just how

difficult it was to keep up with everything and everyone else. These skills that a musician needs

in order to play music well with others are just like another other cognitive skills that we ashumans develop and can master. Studies done by the Society of Neuroscience showed that

 playing music improved cognitive development. It also may increase brain pathways connections

with parts of the brain that are in charge of complex memory, creativity, making decisions, as

well as being able to make sense of conflicting sensory information. I strongly agree with this because I know that as a jazz musician, I have to be creative in my improvisational skills as well

as being able to memorize jazz tunes and make fast decisions about how I want my music to

sound. We have to think about all of these things at once. It is definitely a skill that is difficult but rewarding to master.

Being a musician also means being a multitasker. Julie Roy conducted a study comparing

the sensory multitasking of non-musicians and musicians. Sparks states “Longtime musicians,

however, who must simultaneously read music, feel their instrument, and respond to the soundsit produces, were more than twice as accurate at distinguishing touch and hearing.” As a

musician, one must be aware of all of his surroundings. You have to know where you fit into the

musical texture or what role you play in a given passage of music. The same goes for yourmusical neighbor; you have to be aware of what roles he might play and how your part and his

interact.

Playing music also helps focus the ability for students to sit quietly, listen, be attentive,and be interactive. It is like any other skill that you can master. I’ve seen friends of mine change

from unfocused delinquents to attentive members of society just by being in band or playing a

musical instrument. It teaches discipline and respect for an art while developing sociological,

cognitive, and creative skills within the student. Researchers have also associated learningdisabilities like dyslexia in reading or dyscalculia in mathematics with musical dysfunctions such

as not being able to keep a steady beat or not being able to match pitch (tone-deafness). When

learning music, you’re also learning patterns. This is a very important aspect that can be easily

forgotten and ignored. Identifying patterns are like exercise for the brain and musicaldevelopment can help brain cognition.

All in all, I would highly recommend this article to all non-musicians. The reason I say

this is because musicians already know all of these things. We all grew up being told that if we played music we’d get better SAT scores. It is crucial that people in other fields know that music

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can help too. Music can not only be a way of self-expression and art but also a skill to learn from

and apply in other areas.