Music on the Mind

Understanding how music affects our brains is “one of the most fascinating themes of research,” says Tishby. “We're interested in music because it touches so many levels and mechanisms of the brain.”

HU is among the first academic institutions to offer a credited course on the neurological benefits of music training. Tishby says the recent conference came about thanks to strong interest in the original academic course. In fact, almost as soon as the conference was announced, there was immediate response from near and far. “Israel is a leader in computational neuroscience, the neuroscience of hearing and the connection between neuroscience and music,” says Tishby.

Just about anyone who has listened to music knows that it can affect how we feel. It is widely believed—and has even been proven by the scientific community—that melodies can also shape how we think or learn. “Music helps how accurately we can imagine pitches, people's verbal working memory, and the ability to keep in mind verbal information,” says University of California-Davis Prof. Petr Janata, a presenter at the conference.

“Listening to music definitely improves your brain and sharpens your sensory system,” says Tishby. “…Music that involves a motor activity …keeps your brain fit in the best possible way.” Musicians, it has been shown, are better able to learn new languages.

Tishby says the research he and his peers around the world are conducting is really just scratching the surface.