According to an article in Scientific American Mind, "music can activate your brain's reward centres and depress activity in the amygdala, the hub of emotional memory, reducing fear and other negative feelings" (1)
Also reported: music can treat insomnia, lower blood pressure, soothe patients with dementia, and help premature babies gain weight. And, soothing classical music can increase the milk yield of dairy cows. (2)
Music training can create a more robust brain. The corpus callosum, which connects the left and right brain hemispheres is bigger in musicians than in nonmusicians. The motor cortex and cerebellum are also bigger. A big brain - more gray and white matter - is generally a good thing. As we age, we want to try to maintain (even rebuild) as much brain mass as possible by keeping it exercised (crosswords and other types of puzzles, reading, chess, and so on) and well-nourished with oxygen and other nutrients in order to stave off mental decline.
Some studies have shown that learning to play a musical instrument increases spatial and math abilities in children.
And, music can enhance our exercise regimens by providing increased feelings of motivation and distraction from fatigue. It can also increase physical performance, level of alertness, and aid in the release of the feel-good chemicals that improve mood, like endorphins. As the pleasure centres in our brain are activated by music, our exercise experience becomes more pleasurable. And when we enjoy an activity, we perceive that time is passing more quickly.
D.
(1) and (2) "Six Ways to Boost Brainpower", Scientific American Mind, February/March 2009, p. 62.
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