Harvard neurologist Gottfried Schlaug found that the brains of adult professional musicians had a larger volume of gray matter than the brains of non­musicians had. Schlaug and colleagues also found that after 15 months of musical training in early childhood, structural brain changes associated with motor and auditory improvements begin to appear.

Still other studies have shown an increase in the volume of white matter. Such findings speak to the brain's plasticity—its ability to change or adapt in response to experience, environment, or behavior. It also shows the power of musical training to enhance and build connections within the brain.

When children start studying music before the age of seven, they develop bigger vocabularies, a better sense of grammar and a higher verbal IQ. These advantages benefit both the development of their mother tongue and the learning of foreign languages. During these crucial years, the brain is at its sensitive development phase, with 95% of the brain's growth occurring now. Music training started during this period also boosts the brain's ability to process subtle differences between sounds and assist in the pronunciation of languages – and this gift lasts for life, as it has been found that adults who had musical training in childhood still retain this ability to learn foreign languages quicker and more efficiently than adults who did not have early childhood music training.

Even though you’re sitting down, playing an instrument is a workout all its own, and offers different physical and physiological advantages to players of all ages. For instance, regular piano playing sharpens fine motor skills and improves hand-eye coordination in the young and developing. Bringing music into your life is also proven to reduce anxiety, heart and respiratory rates, cardiac complications, and to lower blood pressure and increase immune response.

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The researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital conclude that children and adults with extensive musical training show enhanced executive function when compared to non-musicians, especially for cognitive flexibility, working memory, and processing speed.

Most parents want their children to be intelligent and successful. And while some experts have pushed parents to teach their children coding, new research is pointing to music as the gateway to smarter kids.

Research has shown that piano lessons for older adults have a significant impact on increased levels of  Human Growth Hormone, which slows the adverse effects of aging.

Playing a musical instrument throughout life is associated with a lower risk of developing dementia. This has been attributed to the ability of musical training and performance to increase the resiliency of the brain. 

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Music has been shown to drastically improve the ability of dementia patients to communicate and access memories that verbal communication can no longer reach. NHS England describes music as being able to “help reduce anxiety and depression, help maintain speech and language, help at the end of life and enhance the quality of life”.

​“If you want to keep your brain engaged throughout the aging process, listening to or playing music is a great tool. It provides a total brain workout.”

Studies has shown that playing an instrument improves mental health: they experience less anxiety, loneliness, and depression. Playing piano has also been shown to be a great source of stress relief, and provides ample opportunities to bolster self-esteem.

Research shows that making music can lower blood pressure, decrease heart rate, reduce stress, and lessen anxiety and depression. It is also a widely used form of therapy for Attention Deficit Disorder.

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