A study by Alicia Olszewska from the Institute of Experimental Biology in Nenki, Poland, was recently published. Her study was titled <Understanding functional brain reorganisation for naturalistic piano playing in novice pianists>. The study observed changes in brain activity after 26 weeks of piano lessons for 24 people of various ages who had no piano experience.
Understanding functional brain reorganisation for naturalistic piano playing in novice pianists.pdf4.274921MB
Participants learned basic Hanon, Bayer, etc. and practiced eight increasingly complex pieces.
Effects of Piano Learning on the Brain
Increased early brain activity : Early in learning, brain regions associated with memory, integration of sensory information, and motor processing are highly active.
Optimization of brain activity : As participants' piano playing skills improved, brain activity in the motor cortex decreased, indicating optimization of brain activity.
Auditory and motor cortex activity : Playing the piano activates the auditory cortex (sound processing) and the motor cortex (movement planning and execution). Activity in the auditory cortex did not change significantly during the training period, but activity in the motor cortex generally decreased.
Changes in activity in other brain regions : Early in learning, brain regions such as the cerebellum (motor coordination), parietal cortex (sensory information integration), hippocampus (memory), and basal ganglia (initiation and control of voluntary movements) are activated. Activity in these regions also decreases as training progresses.
Alicia's research shows that as people become more proficient at playing the piano, their cognitive abilities and brain structure and activity are optimized. In particular, it was found that brain activity becomes more active and efficient as the proficiency of the piano increases in younger users.
When I was young, when my mother sent me to piano lessons, I wish I had practiced harder. I couldn't even think about getting to Czerny 100 or 30, and I just quit using the excuse of moving. But now that I think about it, there are quite a few wise people around me who play the piano or other instruments. I think I should try something else again.
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