Observing a pianist at a recital—converting musical notations into precisely timed finger movements on a piano—can be a powerful emotional experience. As a researcher of neuroscience and a pianist ...

Are we regressing emotionally as a society? The rise of a presidential candidate who feels the need to respond aggressively to every slight, real or perceived — and the perception that he is seen as ...

Music training, with its pervasive effects on the nervous system's ability to process sight and sound, may be more important for enhancing verbal communication skills than learning phonics, according ...

A little music training in childhood goes a long way in improving how the brain functions in adulthood when it comes to listening and the complex processing of sound, according to a new study. The ...

New research finds music lessons produce neural benefits in kids who don’t start formal training until high school. Many studies have emerged in recent years describing the cognitive, emotional, and ...

At the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles, a student sits poised with her bow at a practiced angle to her violin, her eyes following both the written notation in front of her and the conductor’s direction, ...

If the brain is a muscle, then learning to play an instrument and read music is the ultimate exercise. Two new studies from the Brain and Creativity Institute at USC show that as little as two years ...

For many, music study is intrinsically rewarding, and music learning is an end in itself. However, active engagement with music has enduring cognitive benefits, such as concentration, memory, ...

Cognitive decline represents a major barrier to healthy aging. A key challenge for successful aging is to discover interventions that prevent age-related cognitive decline. Musical training has the ...

Growing up in China, I started playing piano when I was nine years old and learning English when I was 12. Later, when I was a college student, it struck me how similar language and music are to each ...