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Boston Research Finds Kids' Brains Benefit From Playing Music

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Kathleen Jara, co-director of the El Sistema program at the Conservatory Lab Charter School in Boston, directs orchestra students during a rehearsal. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
Kathleen Jara, co-director of the El Sistema program at the Conservatory Lab Charter School in Boston, directs orchestra students during a rehearsal. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Can learning to play a musical instrument, especially at a young age, have benefits for the brain? A growing body of work suggests it can.

The neurological connections between musical training and language development is the subject of the latest story in our series "Brain Matters: Reporting from the Frontlines of Neuroscience."

WBUR's Sacha Pfeiffer has details.

Guests

George Hicks, WBUR reporter.

Aniruddh Patel, associate professor of psychology at Tufts University and author of "Music, Language, and the Brain".

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WBUR: How Playing Music Affects The Developing Brain

  • "In a study published last month, Nadine Gaab and her team at Boston Children's Hospital delineated a connection — in both children and adults — between learning to play an instrument and improved executive functioning, like problem-solving, switching between tasks and focus."

This article was originally published on July 17, 2014.

This segment aired on July 17, 2014.

Headshot of Sacha Pfeiffer

Sacha Pfeiffer Host, All Things Considered
Sacha Pfeiffer was formerly the host of WBUR's All Things Considered.

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