How+does+music+affect+the+brain?

**How does Music affect the Brain? ** ** How you ever wondered how might music affect your brain? Music is a great thing to enjoy, and has been enjoyed since primitive times. Although, music is fun and relaxing to listen to, how might music affect the brain and/or the mood? Did you know that some types of music can increase certain areas of intelligence? **
 * By: Luis Gerardo Benavides Leal **

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Musical Training **Scientists have proven that musical training improves and stimulates the function of the brain. Musical training betters mental abilities, such as memory and attention, among others. Since in a musical group you need to be aware of what your partners are playing, it improves your attention, and since you have to memorize notes and the music pieces, it improves your memory. Another good effect of musical training is that it improves the auditory cortex. By listening to music, you hear the patterns of sound, making your auditory cortex exercise and follow patterns within the same music piece. **

Music and Mood **Different types of music can influence or change the mood of humans. Different types of music can also affect your feeling and your emotions at the time you listen to music. It is confirmed that calm music de-stresses and pacifies people. Classical music gives a sense of power to anyone who listens to it. Fast music is great to exercise and to work, because it accelerates the heartbeat. Highly-emotional music can make people feel sad, cheerless, or even depressed. ** media type="custom" key="9011502" align="center"

The Mozart Effect **Music composed by Mozart has great improvements to the brain. Mozart is considered to be one of the best composers of classical music in history. It is proven that playing Mozart’s music to children increases their spatial intelligence. Due to the great effects of Mozart’s music on the human brain, his music is used in clinics, schools, and other non-musical places. ** media type="youtube" key="pUcELXJjwzw" height="390" width="480" align="center"

Negative Effects of Music **Music is not perfect; it can have negative effects in the human brain, mood, and learning capabilities. Some types of music can lead the brain to lose the symmetry. Heavy rock and rap music can lead to feelings, such as anger and hostility. These two types of music may diminish work capabilities in both children and adults. Hearing loud and disruptive music while trying to concentrate on a task, may lead to learning disabilities in children and/or adults. **

Conclusion **In conclusion, my research shows that music has both positive and negative effects on the brain. There are more positive effects than negative. Some positive effects of music to the brain is the improvement in spatial intelligence, memory, attention, learning capabilities and might change someone’s bad mood into a good one. But as well, it has negative effects; heavy rock and rap music can cause diminishing learning and working capabilities on people, loose symmetry of the brain, and might give feelings of anger and hostility. **      <span style="color: #0498ac; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 17pt;">

** __<span style="color: #0078a2; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16pt;">Works Cited: __ ** <span style="color: #0078a2; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16pt;">O'Donnell, Laurance. "Music and the Brain." "Brain & Mind" Magazine - WWW Home Page. 1999. Web. 08 Apr. 2011. <http://www.cerebromente.org.br/n15/mente/musica.html>. <span style="color: #0078a2; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16pt;"> <span style="color: #0078a2; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16pt;">Schewe, Phillip. "Music Improves Brain Function | LiveScience." Current News on Space, Animals, Technology, Health, Environment, Culture and History | LiveScience. Live Science. Web. 08 Apr. 2011. <http://www.livescience.com/7950-music-improves-brain-function.html>. <span style="color: #0078a2; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16pt;"> <span style="color: #0078a2; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16pt;">"BBC - Radio 4 - The Mozart Efect." BBC - Homepage. Web. 08 Apr. 2011. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/mozarteffect.shtml>. <span style="color: #0078a2; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16pt;"> <span style="color: #0078a2; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16pt;">"Effects Music Brain." Brain Health Information, Free Fun Brain Teasers and Puzzles. Web. 08 Apr. 2011. <http://www.brainhealthandpuzzles.com/effects_music_brain.html>.