The Rotman Research Institute together with Baycrest Health Sciences in Toronto released a study linking music training and what they call acoustic memory.

In a nutshell their data tells us that the practice of music early in life creates connections in our brain that will help us in the later years of life. You may have thought playing music was just a really fun way to be more interesting. It turns out that it may create a lifetime of cognitive benefits you never expected.

Scientists have found some of the strongest evidence yet that musical training in younger years can prevent the decay in speech listening skills in later life. “Musical activities are an engaging form of cognitive brain training and we are now seeing robust evidence of brain plasticity from musical training not just in younger brains, but in older brains too,” said the study’s leader. More…