This is Your Brain...on Piano!

Incredible, isn't it? I mean, do we ever really think of our brain as a living organism, functioning mostly without our approval or knowing what the heck its even doing?

Take the Medulla for example. This part of our brain is responsible for keeping our breathing regular, our temperature normal, our heart rate steady, and any number of other functions that our bodies do, without us even giving it a thought. 

Our brains are constantly sending signals to our nerves and organs; telling them what to do, how to process things, and even how to create future events and thoughts. 

There's not one action that you do that doesn't begin in your brain first. 

Your finger strikes the Middle C key on the piano, because your brain told your finger to do that. Most likely, you weren't aware of that whole process, because it actually happens so internally and "hidden" from our conscious awareness and focus, that it just slips right on by. 

We're already aware of the connection between our brains and "muscle memory" in terms of learning the piano.

But now, let's look a bit at what's happening in our brains, when we're learning the piano!  

Studies have shown the following facts about the benefit to our brains when we learn and play the piano:

• 34% higher test scores
• 30% higher IQ scores
• Pattern recognition increases
• Greater hand to eye coordination
• Increased ability to focus and keep attention

There are many more, but they, just like the ones above are all incredible benefits, that we are hearing a lot about lately.

But now, let's see why these benefits come about...as in what is happening physiologically in our brains that results in these positive outcomes.

• The part of our brains that dictates whether we will be stronger on our left or rights sides, grows larger and more equally sized. In non-musicians, this part of the brain is usually only larger on one side, influencing us to be either right handed or left handed. This part of our brain is called the central sulcus.  Have you noticed that your non-dominant hand has become stronger and more active since starting the piano?
• Neuron connections in the frontal lobe are much stronger in piano players. This is important, because the frontal lobe plays a vital role in decision making and processing different information simultaneously. 
• The section in our brains that dictates "pre-learned responses" to our environment actually gets shut down when we play the piano. This change is what supports each musician to play with their own unique voice and respond to the music as it's being played, instead of playing mechanically and with no original emotion and thought. It is one of the most interesting events in our brains, when we play the piano! You truly are an original!
• Blood flow from the brain to specific parts of our bodies, such as our fingers and arms, is actually decreased. Because of this, more focus is able to be applied to the expression in music, as there is more energy available for that task. 
• The Language center of our brains changes as well, especially when we improvise. This region remains active while playing/improvising, but the connections are between the neurons that dictates what type of communication we are able to engage in; and it is the part that has to do with ideas and phrasing, (musicality) rather than the specific notes or words, if you were dealing with sentences. In other words, we're masters of nonverbal communication!

If you think about it, every benefit to playing the piano that you can "see" with your eyes, started from a change in your brain, that you could not see physically. 

Take that a step further, and try to remember that while you are working hard on the outside to learn the piano, your brain is supporting you and making actual changes in your physiological brain map, that you can't see. It's like an invisible friend helping you, even when you aren't practicing or playing. 

The brain is an amazing thing - but the brain on piano, is the most amazing of all!

Stay Tuned to LessonsOnTheWeb to learn much more and achieve your dreams of playing the piano!