Childhood music lessons may provide speech benefits for adults

People who take music lessons as children develop lasting speech benefits as adults because they have a faster brain response, according to a new study in the Journal of Neuroscience. “This study suggests the importance of music education for children today and for healthy aging decades from now,” says Nina Kraus, professor of neurobiology, physiology and olaryngology at Northwestern University School of Communication. Kraus believes the study puts a spotlight on music education and the benefits it provides. Michael Kilgard, a professor at the cortical plasticity laboratory at the University of Texas at Dallas, explains, “Being a millisecond faster may not seem like much, but the brain is very sensitive to timing and a millisecond compounded over millions of neurons can make a real difference in the lives of older adults.” Other studies have also shown that music helps child development and can even help premature infants to eat and sleep better.

CBS News, 11/6/13