It has been reported that a Finnish research team have found that practising a musical instrument can make you a better communicator by altering your brain.

Brain centres

The study, which used data going back as far as 2009, showed that long periods of practice increased the size of the brain centres responsible for hearing and physical dexterity.

Numerous studies had shown that music can have a powerful impact on psychology, but in recent years closer attention has been made to the effect music can have on physiology.

Larger

With musicians already found to be more proficient at isolating speech in noisy environments, showing enhanced skills in detecting emotional cues in conversations and having larger connecting tissue between the right and left sides of the brain, the Finnish research team wanted to explore if music had the power to improve communication skills.

Findings

The findings of the team at the University of Jyvaskyla suggests that not only does music have the power to produce strong emotional responses, but that it can also rewire the circuitry of our brains if practised regularly.

Although the study only tested the effect that listening to music, the results strongly suggested that practising musicians do in fact have a rewired brain that allows them to not only be better musicians but also better communicators in general.

ensemble musicians also showed a prompt response to multiple sensory stimuli, an essential skill for a successful musical collaboration4BR

Sensory stimuli

Keyboard players were found to have the best symmetrical balance — attributed to the way in which they require a more equal use of both hands, but ensemble musicians also showed a prompt response to multiple sensory stimuli, an essential skill for a successful musical collaboration.

Perhaps brass band players knew this all along though...