Healthcare (Commonwealth Union) – Creating music spontaneously may boost cognitive abilities in older adults—such as memory and learning—according to a study by researchers at the University of Sheffield and Western Sydney University.
The research, led by Dr Jennifer MacRitchie from the University of Sheffield’s School of Languages, Arts and Societies, is the first to examine how different approaches to music-making affect learning and brain performance. It compares improvisation, where participants invent a melody in the moment, with replication, which involves repeatedly playing a pre-set tune.
While the results show that both approaches can strengthen cognitive function in later life, improvisation was found to deliver greater benefits for learning.
Published in Royal Society of Open Science, the study suggests music could be used more effectively as a form of brain training. It may also influence how music educators design lessons, allowing them to better adapt teaching methods to support individuals in developing their abilities to the fullest.
Prior investigations have suggested that individuals with musical training often exhibit superior cognitive and motor functions in their later years compared to those lacking such training. This encompasses abilities like the capacity to comprehend speech in noisy environments, a phenomenon referred to as the “cocktail party effect.” Conversely, other research has challenged this correlation, proposing that the observed cognitive benefits might arise from pre-existing factors, including socioeconomic status, inherent musical aptitude, or personality characteristics, rather than the direct influence of music education.
A new study led by Dr Jennifer MacRitchie, working with researchers at Western Sydney University, disputes this view by tracking complete beginners over a 12-month period as they engaged in different forms of musical training. Most earlier studies monitored participants for only three to six months. This Sheffield-led research is the first to comprehensively assess both the musical abilities adults develop over a full year and the associated cognitive and motor improvements.
Dr MacRitchie, Senior Research Fellow in Music at the University of Sheffield, pointed out that it has long been recognised that music offers many benefits for general health and wellbeing, but there has been ongoing debate about whether learning an instrument can genuinely enhance cognitive and motor skills, especially later in life.
She pointed out that their study is one that has been done over longer period to examine this and builds on the evidence that learning how to play a musical instrument when you are older – even if an individual has never played an instrument on prior occasions – can enhance the brain function.
While elaborating on different approaches to learning music, Dr MacRitchie indicated that most programmes designed to teach older adults to play a musical instrument rely on replication, where learners repeatedly practise a set melody. She indicated that their research, however, shows that improvisation — encouraging people to create their own melodies — is more effective at strengthening cognitive and motor abilities and while both methods support brain health, their findings indicate that improvisation offers greater benefits.
“Furthermore, improvisation doesn’t require remembering exact sequences, which means it can be a good opportunity for musical expression for people who struggle with memory and may not normally take up playing an instrument later in life.”
The team also examined whether engaging with a traditional physical instrument — in this case, a piano — or using a virtual alternative such as the iPad app Thumbjam had differing effects on older adults’ cognitive abilities.
Pointing out the advantages of both real and digital instruments, Professor MacRitchie indicated applications like iPad Thumbjam have the potential to make learning a musical instrument more accessible than ever and they wanted to explore whether they influence learning and memory differently compared to playing a conventional instrument. She indicated that their findings indicate there is no significant difference, which is encouraging for those seeking to incorporate digital tools into music education.
