Playing the piano boosts brain processing power and helps lift the blues - study

A randomised control trial led by Bath psychologists shows the positive effects learning to play music for just a few weeks has on cognitive abilities. A new study published by researchers at the University of Bath demonstrates the positive impact learning to play a musical instrument has on the brain's ability to process sights and sounds, and shows how it can also help to lift a blue mood. Publishing their findings in the academic journal Nature Scientific Reports , the team behind the study shows how beginners who undertook piano lessons for just one hour a week over 11 weeks reported significant improvements in recognising audio-visual changes in the environment and reported less depression, stress and anxiety. In the randomised control study, 31 adults were assigned into either a music training, music listening, or a control group. Individuals with no prior musical experiences or training were instructed to complete weekly one-hour sessions. Whilst the intervention groups played music, the control groups either listened to music or used the time to complete homework. The researchers found that within just a few weeks of starting lessons*, people's ability to process multisensory information - i.e., sight and sound - was enhanced.