It is hard to conceptualise that our brain waves can be in sync or out of sync. Yet this concept of brain wave synchronisation is fascinating to neuroscientists as they are finding that the more consistent the synchronisation, meaning the longer our brain waves can stay in sync, the more effectively we can learn.

One of BBB’s favourite researchers, Dr Patricia Izbicki, has done all the hard work for us and summarised the five great reasons why music learning is the childhood experience that just keeps on giving well into our later life.

Ever wondered what that tingling sensation in your brain or on your scalp is called when you listen to music? We hadn’t wondered, but we feel better now that we know. It’s called the Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR). We probably won’t remember that long name or the acronym but “head orgasm” is a term that won’t be forgotten.

The location of neuromusical research tends to lend itself to the study of music learning through the Western Art Music genre. This has been useful when it comes to the ability to compare research study findings but not as useful when it comes to our understanding of the impact of non-Western Art Music genre on brain development.

One of the challenges with neuromusical research is that it can be so technical that it is hard to connect what the studies find with what it could mean in the “real world”. This study is a perfect example with the title “Gamma-Band Frequency Analysis and Motor Development in Music-Trained Children: A Cross-Sectional Study”

Drummers, very unfairly, can be the target of some pretty mean jokes and stereotypes. For example, What do you call a drummer with half a brain? Gifted!

Music learning has so many amazing benefits for students, but did you know that music learning is often used as a therapy tool for children with autism?

Quite rightly, people who have not had exposure to music education or the impacts on children ask the question “How can one activity do so many things? The answer is that music learning is a package.

Our auditory processing system is possibly our largest information-gathering sense. It keeps us safe and it processes mountains of information without our knowledge. It also never turns off. But, sometimes it gets tired and a bit overwhelmed.

I am sure there is a joke in there, but as you think about what it is, you should have a look at this new study. It looked into the differences between auditory processing skills, like auditory memory, and speech in noise.

Music is with us every day. Not just what we hear on the radio or our phone, but in the sound landscapes we are surrounded by that include speech.

For quite some time, researchers have been trying to understand the brain mechanisms that result in the condition known as dyslexia. It is a complex puzzle, the kind that researchers love!