The first end-of-term test No.2 (Skills) SVIP

In all the world's cultures, people sing, play instruments, and celebrate with music. Experts have found that because of the way our brains process music, learning to play an instrument or just listening to music can have a wide range of benefits.

Music education has received a lot of attention. Learning to play an instrument can help children improve math, science, and language skills. One study in Canada tracked children's IQ scores for nine months, discovering that children who studied music had the biggest test score improvements. The secret may lie in the way reading music and playing notes uses several regions of the brain, boosting our ability to learn school subjects.

Music is also used for medical purposes, such as the treatment of diseases which affect memory. Scientists explain that one area near the forehead connects music with memories stored in two other areas. That's why an old song can remind you of something that happened years ago. For patients suffering from diseases like Alzheimer's, listening to music can help unlock buried memories by strengthening musical pathways to memories.

Studies of the music-brain connection often focus on classical music since it activates both the left and right sides of our brains. One study found that the brain activity was the highest during the short breaks between the movements of a piece of music. During each break, the person's brain predicted what would come next, while organizing what he or she had just heard. This process is similar to the way our brain organizes information. It may explain why classical music can help improve memory.