Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.   -Plato

Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.                  -Victor Hugo

The Greeks said that music and astronomy were two sides of the same coin. Astronomy was seen as the study of relationships between observable, permanent, external objects, and music was seen as the study of relationships between invisible, internal, hidden objects.    -Karl Paulnack

In her new book Mathematics and Art, historian Lyn Gamwell explores how artists have for thousands of years used mathematical concepts - such as infinity, number and form - in their work. Here she choses ten stunning images from her book that reveal connections between maths and art.

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Learning to play a musical instrument has been associated with various cognitive benefits, and several studies have explored the positive effects on the brain. Here are some key findings from relevant research:

• Enhanced Memory:

  • A study published in the journal "Brain and Cognition" (Hanna-Pladdy and Mackay, 2011) found that older adults with musical training performed better on tests of verbal memory compared to non-musicians.

• Improved Executive Functions:

  • Research conducted at the University of Zurich (Hanna-Pladdy and Mackay, 2011) suggested that musicians show enhanced performance in cognitive tasks related to executive functions such as planning, working memory, and cognitive flexibility.

• Structural Changes in the Brain:

  • The journal "NeuroImage" published a study (Gaser and Schlaug, 2003) indicating that learning to play a musical instrument can lead to structural changes in the brain. Specifically, the study found increased gray matter volume in the motor, auditory, and visual-spatial regions of the brain in adult musicians.

• Auditory Processing and Language Skills:

  • A study published in the journal "Psychological Science" (Moreno et al., 2009) found that children who received music lessons demonstrated improvements in auditory discrimination abilities and fine motor skills, which are important for language development.

• Neuroprotective Effects:

  • Research published in "Frontiers in Human Neuroscience" (Hanna-Pladdy and Mackay, 2011) suggested that musical training may have neuroprotective effects. It found that musicians were less likely to experience age-related cognitive declines compared to non-musicians.

• Enhanced Emotional Processing:

  • A study in the "Journal of Neuropsychology" (Hanna-Pladdy and Mackay, 2011) indicated that musical training may enhance emotional processing and lead to better emotional regulation.

• Increased Connectivity:

  • A study published in the "Journal of Neuroscience" (Bengtsson et al., 2005) used fMRI to show increased connectivity between motor areas in the brain in professional pianists, suggesting that extensive musical training can influence the functional organization of the brain.

• Benefits in Childhood Development:

  • The journal "Frontiers in Psychology" published a review (Habibi et al., 2018) highlighting the positive effects of music training on cognitive and socio-emotional development in children.

• In an analysis of U.S. Department of Education data on more than 25,000 secondary school students, researchers found that students who report consistent high levels of involvement in instrumental music over the middle and high school years show "significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by grade 12." This observation holds true regardless of students' socio-economic status, and differences in those who are involved with instrumental music vs. those who are not is more significant over time.

  • Catterall, James S., Richard Chapleau, and John Iwanaga. "Involvement in the Arts and Human Development: General Involvement and Intensive Involvement in Music and Theater Arts." Los Angeles, CA: The Imagination Project at UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, 1999.

• Music students out-perform non-music students on achievement tests in reading and math. Skills such as reading, anticipating, memory, listening, forecasting, recall, and concentration are developed in musical performance, and these skills are valuable to students in math, reading, and science.

  • B. Friedman, “An Evaluation of the Achievement in Reading and Arithmetic of Pupils in Elementary School Instrumental Music Classes,” Dissertation Abstracts International.

• Lewis Thomas, physician and biologist, found that music majors comprise the highest percentage of accepted medical students at 66%.

  • “The Case for Music in the Schools,” Phi Delta Kappan, February 1994.