Children who play instruments can improve attention and memory, according to neuroscientists

Learning to play a musical instrument offers significant cognitive benefits for children, extending beyond mere enjoyment. Neuroscientific research indicates that musical training can substantially improve attention and memory functions.

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children with musical training show greater attention and memory capacity, as well as greater activation in brain regions related to attention control and auditory processing, executive functions that are associated with better reading, greater resilience, greater creativity and better quality of life.

A study published in Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, led by Dr. Leonie Kausel, examined 40 Chilean children aged 10 to 13. The research compared 20 children with at least two years of musical instruction, who practiced at least two hours weekly and participated in ensembles, against 20 children who had no formal musical training beyond basic school introductions.

During a bimodal (auditory and visual) attention and working memory task, researchers monitored the children's brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging. While reaction times showed no significant difference between the groups, children with musical training demonstrated markedly superior performance in memory recall tasks. The study suggests that specific aspects of musical education, such as reading sheet music and performing in groups, may contribute to these enhanced cognitive abilities.

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Our behavioral results showed that children with musical training performed better overall on both memory recall tasks than children in the control group.

Furthermore, the neuroimaging results revealed that children who play instruments exhibit more developed brain regions linked to attention control and auditory processing. These findings suggest that musical education plays a crucial role in fostering cognitive development, potentially leading to better reading skills, increased resilience, enhanced creativity, and an overall improved quality of life.

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Given that all our musically trained participants read sheet music and played in an ensemble, it is plausible that these specific facets of their musical training contributed to the overall better performance of the musically trained children on both memory tasks.