How Playing an Instrument Benefits Your Brain

Which of these summaries of the video we watched in class is the correct one?

• Playing music is like a full workout for the brain, involving many areas at the same time. It improves memory, problem-solving, and creativity. Musicians’ brains are more connected, which helps them plan and think better. Research shows that learning music is unique and boosts brain functions more than other activities.

• Listening to music is the same as playing an instrument because both use the same areas of the brain. Scientists discovered that listening to music improves motor skills and memory in the same way as learning to play an instrument.

• The main idea is that music only affects the emotional parts of the brain. Musicians do not use logical thinking or problem-solving when playing instruments, as music is purely creative.

• Playing music is bad for the brain because it causes too much activity, which can make people lose focus. Studies suggest that other activities, like painting or sports, are better for brain development.

Match the following words with the correct definitions!

• A person who studies the brain.

• Jubilee

• A celebration or a special event

• Cortex

• The outer part of the brain

• Corpus Callosum

• Connecting the two brain hemispheres

• Neuroscientist

• Bright lights in the sky

• Fireworks

____________ have made enormous breakthroughs in understanding how our brains work.

• Biologists

• Physicists

• Neuroscientists

• Psychologists

When researches got the participants to listen to music, they saw _________.

Which of the following are elements of music?

• melody

• opera

• rhythm

• genres

When scientists turned from observing the brains of music listeners to those of musicians, the little backyard fireworks became a _______.

Playing music is the brain's equivalent of a full-body...

• neglect

• push-up

• bother

• workout

Playing a musical instrument engages practically every area of the brain at once, especially the _________, __________, and _________ cortices.

• visual

• smelling

• auditory

• motor

Playing a musical instrument engages both hemispheres of the brain.

• True

• False

Musicians cannot solve problems more effectively and creatively.

• True

• False