Articles 1/4 & 5/8 & 9/12 Annotated Bibliography: Brock Ballard

Alleyne, Richard. "Playing a Musical Instrument Makes You Brainier." The Telegraph.
Telegraph Media Group, 25 Apr. 0041. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
Alleyne states that by regularly playing an instrument, your shape and power of
your brain may be changed. He claims that musicians have structurally and functionally
different brains compared with non-musicians. Music training benefits the parts of the
brain that control hearing, and memory. Music, according to alleyne, makes it easier to
pick up other languages and have a better verbal memory in your own language.
Musicians are better able to pick out exactly what others are feeling just by the tone of
their voices. Overall, music has a strong influence on the brain.

Bergland, Christopher. "Does Playing a Musical Instrument Make You Smarter?"

Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness + Find a Therapist. Psychology Today, 25
June 2014. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
Bergland reminds us that Albert Einstein had musical training when he was a
child. He argues that musical training improves many functions in both children and
adults. He claims that research shows correlation between musical training and cognitive
abilities. Behavioral and neural correlations were there as well. Bergland emphasises
three main brain benefits of musical training in his article. He believes that musical
training is one of the most beneficial things you can do as a child.

"Can Playing an Instrument Make You Smarter?" Examined Existence. Examined

Existence, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
The author is very organized in his writing. He argues that music does make you
smarter. He shows studies that back up his hypothesis. He states that learning an
instrument hones musical intelligence. By being musically intelligent, it helps you
become more mathematically intelligent. The author also emphasises that if you are
musically intelligent, you become linguistically intelligent. Playing an instrument,
according to the author, makes you smarter!
Childhood music lessons pay off in old age. Australian [National, Australia] 7 Nov.
2013: 3. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.
Learning a musical instrument as a child can prevent deafness in old age. Studies show
that as little as four years training in childhood can make a difference in decades to come.
Learning an instrument can make it easier to learn languages and interpret auditory clues
about emotions. Many colleges and psychologists are studying this topic. Reports from

studies show that people with more than four years of music training responded more
quickly to sound stimuli than those with little or none. Music helps, and will pay off in
dividends down the road.
Cole, Diane. Your Aging Brain Will Be in Better Shape If Youve Taken Music Lessons.
National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 03 Jan. 2014. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.
In this article, Cole says, that if you think that studying an instrument gives children an
advantage in the development of their intellectual, perceptual, and cognitive skills, it may
just be wishful thinking. Musical training however does grow your brain. It is a efficient
way to stimulate the brain. Overall the main benefit we get from learning a musical
instrument would be an added defense against memory loss, cognitive decline, and
diminished ability to distinguish consonants and spoken words. According to Cole, It is
never too late to start learning a musical instrument and gain benefits from it.
Demorest, Steven M., and Steven J. Morrison. "Does Music Make You Smarter?." Music
Educators Journal 87.2 (2000): 33. Academic Search Premier. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
Music makes you smarter. According to Morrison, musical training makes you smarter in
music. Music study will develop your musical intelligence. Keyboard training is
specifically the most beneficial training that one can do. Keyboard training can
dramatically enhance childrens abstract reasoning skills necessary for learning math and
science. The article shows many points on ways that music makes you smarter. The
article also shows test score correlations of people who study music v.s. people who dont.
Edghill, Laura. Music Really Does Make Kids Smarter. 5 Sep. 2014. WORLD, n.d.
Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
Music makes you smarter. Laura Edghill shows the conclusion from a recent
study of children who spent at least two years learning to play a musical instrument at the
Harmony Project. She concludes that there was evidence shown of measurable changes in
the brain. She then emphasises that music programs are at risk in many schools, and
something needs to be done about it to save the programs. Edghill points out the playing
a musical instrument engages kids holistically. Many people report that their children are
becoming better at math because of the instrument.

"How Playing An Instrument Can Sharpen The Mind." Education Journal 174 (2013):
14. Academic Search Premier. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
Music can have many mental and physical benefits on a person. Tests were done and
studies show that musical instruments benefit lives drastically. Music improves the ability
to monitor our behaviour for errors and the ability to fix them. The author acknowledges

that music study is an effective way to slow, stop, or even reverse age illness related
decline in ones mental functioning. The author emphasises that even at moderate levels
of study, you can benefit. It is never too late.

"Music Enhances the Mind." Music Makes You Smarter. Woodwind & Brasswind, n.d.
Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
The author states that music enhances the mind in many ways. He talks about
studies where music has been proven to strengthen the functioning of the brain. He points
out that throughout the country, students who perform in school bands consistently have
higher GPA averages. The author emphasises that exposing a child to music early in their
lives can positively impact their reading level, brain development, and IQ score. Adults
who learn an instrument also benefit greatly. It is never too late to receive the benefits of
learning to play a musical instrument.

Skoe, Erika, and Nina Kraus. "A Little Goes A Long Way: How The Adult Brain Is
Shaped By Musical Training In Childhood." Journal Of Neuroscience 32.34 (2012):
11507-11510. Academic Search Premier. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
Skoe argues that playing a musical instrument changes the anatomy and function of the
brain. She shows through research that the neural changes accompanying musical training
during childhood are retained in adulthood. The benefits last forever. Studies found the
the brainstem response was more robust in adults who had musical training than those
with no past training. peoples response to sound was much better too. Skoe emphasises
the musical training during childhood, even in limited form, may influence the adult
brain.
Toppo, Greg. "This Is Your Brain on a Musical Instrument." USA Today. Gannett, 02
Sept. 2014. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.
Learning to play a musical instrument produces such profound changes in
childrens brains. Kids can hear and process sounds they couldnt hear otherwise if they
did not practice an instrument. Findings strongly encourage kids to play instruments
rather than simply listening to music. Those who play for just two years show a stronger
neurophysiological distinction between certain sounds. According to the article, music
makes you smarter. Music keeps the brain active.
"Why Your Child Should Learn to Play an Instrument."Music Education in Children. N.p., n.d.
Web. 14 Nov. 2014.
Being able to play music directly effects the automatic processing of the human
brainstem. Musical instruments assist normal children as well as children with

disabilities. Playing a musical instrument not only helps the child's motor and sensory
skills, it has also been proven that cognitive skills are increased too! Instruments will
enhance their learning experience and stimulate their minds. It also creates a calming
effect on a child. To play an instrument can dramatically reduce the effects of stress in a
child.