This neuroscience of music page is the product of my independent research project as a sophomore in high school.

The Brain and Music Therapy

Explanation

Music is processed in all areas of the brain, which is one of the components as to why music interacts with the human experience like no other art form. Featured below is an overview of each of the parts of the brain and how they interact with music and each other to collectively make up the human experience.

Motor

Motor Skills include voluntary and involuntary movement, motor planning, motor control, motor coordination, and balance. The brain areas involved with motor skills include parts of the frontal lobe, specifically the primary motor cortex, the premotor cortex, and supplementary motor area, the cerebellum, and the basal ganglia. The brain processes music for motor skills in a specific way. What happens is that when auditory stimuli ascend to the higher cognitive processing areas of the brain, they simultaneously descend directly down the spinal column, causing an immediate reflex-like reaction in muscles of the body to produce more organized movement. Music is used to improve motor skills in the following two ways. First, research supports parallels between rhythm and movement. Rhythm can be used as an external timekeeper to organize, coordinate and improve movement. Second, music therapists can use music to facilitate more functional, organized, coordinated, and higher quality movements in fine motor and gross motor skills including motor planning, motor control, motor coordination, gait training and body awareness.

Cognitive

Cognitive skills are executive functions, which include reasoning, planning, problem solving, attention, working memory, organization, abstract thinking, and initiation, inhibition, and monitoring of actions. The brain areas involved with cognitive skills include the parts of the frontal lobe, specifically the prefrontal cortex, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and the orbitofrontal cortex. In the limbic system, the hippocampus is also responsible for cognitive skills. The brain processes music for cognitive skills in a specific way, as well. In short, the brain is highly responsive to all elements of music and specifically rhythm engages with the brain in a profound way in terms of organization. These auditory stimuli ascend to the higher cognitive processing areas of the brain and optimize, as well as enhance performance of cognitive skills. Music is used to improve cognitive skills in the following four ways. First music provides an optimal learning environment, organizes information into smaller chunks that are easier to learn and retain, and aids in memorization. Second, music captivates and maintains attention.  Research indicates that attention is necessary before learning can take place. Third, research indicates that music is often successful as a mnemonic device for learning new concepts, such as learning the alphabet through the "ABC Song". Lastly, music therapists can use music to improve cognitive skills such as attention, memory, mood, and executive functioning (higher level thought processing) including academic skills.

Speech and Language

Speech and language skills include speech production, articulation, comprehension, reading, writing, and organization of language and thoughts. The brain areas involved with speech and language include broca's area in the frontal lobe, wernicke's area in the temporal lobe, and the angular gyrus in the parietal lobe. Speech and singing are closely related in function and proximity in the brain. Speech naturally incorporates music elements such as meter, rhythm, and the melodic contour of prosody. Research shows that music enhances these speech and language functions. Music is used to improve speech and language in the following three ways. First, research supports parallels between singing and speech production and music's ability to facilitate improved communication skills. Second, music therapy can enable those without language to communicate and express themselves non-verbally. Additionally, music therapy often assists in the development of verbal communication, speech, and language skills. Lastly, music therapists can assist a person with dysfunction or delays in various speech and language abilities to learn how to speak through singing or communicate nonverbally through music.

Social, Emotional, and Behavioral

Social, emotional and behavioral skills include appropriate social behavior, impulse control, reward-based learning, motivation, and emotional processing. The brain areas involved in social, emotional, and behavioral skills include the amygdala in the limbic system, and the anterior cingulate cortex, as well as the orbitofrontal cortex in the frontal lobe. In terms of how the brain processes music for the these three skills, music stimulates the emotional and reward centers of the brain and acts as a natural motivator and stimulator for appropriate social and emotional responses. Music is used to improve social, emotional, and behavioral skills in the following three ways. First, music is highly motivating and engaging and may be used as a natural reinforcer for desired responses. Music therapy can stimulate clients to reduce negative and/or self-stimulatory responses and increase participation in more socially appropriate ways. Second, music therapy facilitates improved social skills such as shared play, turn-taking, reciprocity, listening and responding to others. Lastly, music therapy provides a non-threatening and structured environment in which individuals have the opportunity to develop identification and appropriate expression of their emotions.

Sensory

Sensory skills include the sensory processing of the five senses as well as processing proprioceptive (input to muscles and joints) and vestibular (input for balance) stimuli. The brain areas involved in sensory skills include the primary somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobe, the primary auditory cortex and the superior temporal gyrus in the temporal lobe, the primary visual cortex in the occipital lobe, the olfactory and gustatory systems in the frontal lobe, and the midbrain, pons, medulla oblongata, and inferior colliculi in the brainstem. In terms of how the brain processes music for sensory skills, music involves the auditory, visual, and tactile senses and is processed in all areas of the brain, accessing and stimulating areas of the brain that may not be accessible through other modalities. Music is used to improve sensory skills in the following way: music provides concrete, multi-sensory stimulation (auditory, visual, and tactile). The rhythmic component of music is organizing for the sensory systems. As a result, auditory, visual, tactile, proprioceptive (input to muscles and joints), vestibular (input for balance), and self-regulation processing skills can be improved through music therapy.