Food, sex and drugs have nothing on music. Playing a musical instrument can make you smarter. Music affects attention and reading ability.
When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout. What's going on? Anita Collins explains the fireworks that go off in musicians' brains when they play, and examines some of the long-term positive effects of this mental workout. Watch this lesson by Anita Collins, with animation by Sharon Colman Graham.