While the Rauscher and Shaw research indicates that music helps development in the right side of the brain, German researchers concluded that the left side benefits as well. Mozart's music may warm up the brain, Shaw suggests. Furthermore, listening to Mozart's music while studying can enhance one's ability to memorize spellings, poetry, and other languages, he adds. Although most experts say simply exposing your child to Mozart or Frank Sinatra or even Eric Clapton won't necessarily turn them into scientists or surgeons, educators and child development professionals do not discount music's ability to tap into the mind's reservoir of creativity and intelligence. As a result of the Rauscher and Shaw research findings, several public schools throughout the U.S., including Massachusetts, have begun to include Mozart as background music in their classes.
Experts say that maybe it is because music never stands still.
Whether you are playing an instrument or listening to the radio, you are constantly being challenged to process and make sense of the tune and rhythm. The music moves ahead and you can't just sit there. You have to be organized and operate very efficiently. A study by Gardiner and his colleagues in two elementary schools demonstrated that first-graders who received an extra hour per week of music and visual arts training in the classroom showed improved reading skills and were significantly ahead in math skills compared to other students of the same age. The process is called 'cross-fertilization,' when the brain is able to take what is learned from one skill, in this case music, and apply it to other skills, such as math and reading.