How Music Improves Your Brain Functions
If your parents have been nagging at you to stop listening to your music while you’re studying, then there’s good news for you: Studies have shown music improves memory, focus and even intelligence.
A Stanford University study has even shown music to improve your anticipatory intelligence. Other benefits include less stress, happiness, mood lifting, prolonged attention and better overall test scores. Some neuroscientists have even theorized that music has played a crucial role in our evolution. By hitting on hollow trees, our ancestors have unknowingly trained their brain for intelligence not found in other creatures. This is because the same parts of your brain that processes music also processes memory and control your ability to shift attention.
Although I should mention that the studies are all conducted with Baroque music pieces… or in other words, classical symphonies. Loud music, such as rock and roll, has been correlated with just the opposite effect: Lowered ability to hold attention (increased distractability), decreased memory and poorer test scores are just some of its effects.
As for the reason why, no one really knows. And as such, causation cannot be established.
But if you want to improve your mental fitness, I’d suggest you switch your music preferences. It was hard for me because I was one of those “first-row-maniac” in Led Zeppelin concerts but even I managed to change.
