Assignment+5

Music, Memories, and the Brain @https://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/music-and-the-brain/id386018026?mt=10 "Music and the Brain" is a Podcast with Steve Menchir interviewing Dr. Charles Limb, assistant professor of otolaryngology and hearing specialist at Johns Hopkins University. This podcast is a discussion about new research on the intersection of cognitive neuroscience and music.

Dr. Limb explains how music has structure and rules. Music has rules (chords) and structure (beat). Much like writing, there are rules (punctuation). As he talks about the act of hearing, music enters the ear and vibrations help the brain interpret the sounds. The act of hearing requires input and output. He says that when a musician plays an instrument, they are analyzing or hearing what they are playing and output is required to react and continue playing. Dancing requires the same input (hearing and processing) and output by hearing the music, your body reacts and you dance to the music. Dr. Limb also talks about improvisation in music and music played from memory. They noticed how memorized music required less frontal lobe activity and how improvised music showed much more activity in the frontal lobe. Dr. Limb also compares improvisation in music and speaking (or writing) you're instantly coming up with new (unrehearsed) material.

In one of his studies, they performed a functional MRI which gives you a live look at what areas of the brain are active. They can actively map their brain while playing memorized music and improvised music. When memorized music was played, there was little activity in the frontal lobe and showed activity in the lateral lobe. During improvised music, the frontal lobe is turned on. The frontal lobe is the default area of the brain and is a self monitored area where creativity is originated and concerns about "right or wrong" are put off to the side. Neurological activity is increased as memorized chords are included with improvised music.

In summary, from the facts I've gathered through this Podcast and other readings leads me to believe that playing appropriate music in class will increase student participation and performance through triggering more activity in the brain during creative writing activities.