logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2021
4m 47s

How playing an instrument benefits your ...

TED
About this episode

When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout. What's going on? Educator Anita Collins explains the fireworks that go off in musicians' brains when they play and examines some of the long-term positive effects of this mental workout. (Directed by Sharon Colman Graham, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Peter Gosling)



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
We’re keeping the ocean wild — and you can join us | Sylvia A. Earle
In 2009, marine biologist Sylvia Earle stood on the TED stage and made a wish: to build a global network of "Hope Spots" and protect the ocean before it's too late. Seventeen years later, she's back to report on what's happened since — and the picture is both more urgent and more ... Show More
38m 53s
Yesterday
Sunday Pick: In celebration of Pride Month | from Design Matters
In celebration of Pride Month, we’re revisiting conversations with accomplished LGBTQ+ guests—Carol Leifer, Paul Tazewell, Sonya Passi, Leisha Hailey, and Kate Moennig—about the journeys that led them to fulfilling professional lives and the influences that shaped who they are to ... Show More
44m 48s
Jun 6
Inside Dubai's mission to build the city of the future | His Excellency Khalfan Belhoul, Whitney Pennington Rodgers
What does it look like when a city becomes a laboratory for innovation? His Excellency Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation, explains why Dubai is cutting the bureaucratic red tape to experiment with big ideas in everything from AI and emerging tech to finance and ... Show More
14m 50s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2010
Can music rebuild my brain?
<p>It's been said that music has the power to soothe savage beasts, but what scientific impact does music have on humans? In this episode, Julie and Robert explore the influence of music on human brain cells -- and whether it can actually rebuild your brain.</p><p> </p> Learn mor ... Show More
31m 34s
Oct 2021
Quel pouvoir émotionnel a la musique ?
Quels pouvoirs émotionnels à la musique ? Avez-vous déjà été étonné de voir qu’une musique pouvait vous transporter autant physiquement qu’émotionnellement ? Existe-t-il une musique qui vous replonge immédiatement dans un souvenir ? Est-ce qu’elle vous rappelle la personne avec q ... Show More
41m 58s
Apr 2024
Play an Instrument
Humans have been making music for thousands of years, but for Michael Mosley and our volunteer Matthew, the musical journey is only just beginning. Playing a musical instrument has been shown to strengthen your memory and lift your mood. It can even reduce chronic inflammation. D ... Show More
15m 5s
Oct 2021
Ep 28: Why songs get stuck in our heads
tail spinning
24m 59s
Oct 2021
From silence to cacophony, here's how your brain makes sense of the world
It can be hard enough to answer the question, "what kind of music do you like?" But how about "why do you like it?" That's one of the many questions about the human brain and sound that neuroscientist Nina Kraus set out to answer in her book Of Sound Mind. In this interview with ... Show More
8m 48s
May 2021
Why is learning stuff harder as you get older?
<p>Have you taken classes to learn a new sport or musical instrument or a language? It’s hard work! Why is it that as children we effortlessly absorb new skills and we don’t as adults? That’s what 50-something listener Gary Grief wondered about playing guitar. Do you need to pl ... Show More
35m 55s
Sep 2023
How to Use Music to Boost Motivation, Mood & Improve Learning
In this episode, I describe how your brain and body are fundamentally wired to perceive and respond to music and how those responses can be leveraged to improve your mood, allow for processing sad emotions and enhance learning and performance. I explain the data showing how music ... Show More
1h 41m
Apr 2022
The Power of Music
Have you ever gone through a breakup and listened to a sad song on repeat? Why do we have such strong emotional connections to music? Well, the answer lies in our brains. On this episode, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to Professor Assal Habibi, a pianis ... Show More
25m 30s
Mar 2024
How music, memory and emotion are connected, with Elizabeth Margulis, PhD
The right song can make us feel chills, help pull us out of a bad mood, or take us back in time to the first time we heard it. Elizabeth Margulis, PhD, director of the Music Cognition Lab at Princeton University, talks about how music, memory, emotion and imagination intertwine; ... Show More
41m 12s