The Mozart Effect...music improving intelligence?

I have two grandchildren who play instruments and therefore study music. The younger one is a natural and picks up things musical quite easily. She does poorly with her grades. The older one is not a brilliant scholar either but gets by with average grades. It's been about 8 years for the older child and 6 years for the younger. They may have increased grey matter but it seems not to follow that there is increased intelligence...sadly.

I always thought music and a ear for music went hand in hand. Those that possess a good ear are the one's who would go for either learning a musical instrument or singing. Listening to music is yet another story. I love listening to music but do have a tendency not to pick the right notes and go false at times while attempting to sing. I was a member in the choir but could only be a part of a group but never did a solo. And this thing about enhancing one's brain in the process of learning music or whatever is a theory that is new to me. Suffice it to say, however, that God Almighty endowed me with enough grey matter that I never felt the need to enhance it anyway!

Hi Jen... Yes, I am familiar with the Mozart Effect and bought the book around 10 years ago. I am a music lover who loves all genres, so I thought I would give it a try when I was in a writing workshop. I found it relaxing and as instructed in the book used the 60bpm (beats per minute) Mozart compositions. I did this on and off for about 6 months. At first it seemed to work, but as a therapists I was very aware that it worked because I was expecting it to. After a month or so of using the tracks daily, I was getting irritated by hearing the same pieces of music over and over and then it became more of a annoyance than anything else. As a musician, it could be that I don't like to be distracted by music that is too enjoyable, and know only too well from practising for my piano exams, that over-playing music can have the opposite effects where I would become "stale" and my playing would lose expression and sound too mechanical because I had lost interest. The outcome of the tests don't seem to mention the results of people who are not musically minded. I know several people who are not musically minded, and as a music-lover myself, whilst I find it hard to understand how anybody can be unmoved by music they nevertheless, exist. There is no doubt that if you are moved by something - it doesn't have to be music - your attention becomes more focused. You can be strongly focused on something you love or something you are repelled by. I think ultimately, the mind is very complex and what is true about one person in a situation, is not true about another. I think we can each find our loves and hates and if we know how, we can use these experiences to enhance our knowledge and awareness.. Thanks for an interesting discussion.. This is something I feel I can really "get my teeth into"... _Derek

I don't play any instruments because I am a man without rhythm when it comes to any kind of music. I sometimes do listen to music when I am studying, but most often I don't. I don't generally listen to classical music because it relaxes me too much.

I'm not sure about the Mozart effect, but before my first baby was born, I tried to indulge him with classical music. I think I read it somewhere (or maybe I just saw it on Frasier), that it would make the baby grow more inteligent. Even after he was born, I would alternate nursery rhymes and classical music for him to listen to. I still have to see if he'd be more intelligent!

I wonder what they listened to before Mozart was born? Personally I prefer no noise, but if there is something annoying in the background (e.g. the wife nagging) I like to drown it out with something that isn't catchy. Mozart fits the bill perfectly a long as it isn't played too loudly.

I believe that there is a benefit to listening to music and the type of music we listen to in some ways shapes our neural pathways. I believe I read that the same parts of the brain that you use to learn music are used to learn math. This makes sense to me as musical intervals are based on math. I learned to play an instrument, but not that well. I also sing. My son was very bright,according to many tests he is "gifted" Before he was allowed to take band he was already achieving well in school. He was asking for piano lessons at four years old, but I could not find a suitable teacher in this town. He plays trumpet, and a little guitar. My daughter plays (to varying degrees of skill) cello, piano, violin (a little), guitar, and marimba. She had a two hour recital on Marimba. She is also very bright, and the rules changed, so she did not receive the label "gifted" but she excelled as well. They were exposed to a lot of different music, but not much rock or heavy metal.

I have had a love hate relationship with Mozaer since I was 10! When I was a teen, I had to play Ein Klein Nach musique first movement , over and over again! Now I can't stand it. I told my sister if I'm ever in a comma , play it and I will wake and hit whomever is closest!Lol! So the last thing I would play is Mozart to study.In fact if I play music I would focus on the music and not the subject of study. So The scientists think I have more grey matter! cool. Oops. I went into Mozart and didn't answer your question. I started singing when I was about 3. The violin by 9 and the autoharp by 12, the guitar by 13. I was told this is why math was easier but I didn't know the scientists found out we musicians have more grey matter in the brain.

I could memorize songs in a heartbeat as a kid. Now I'd have to study. Tried dulcimer, but couldn't tune by ear. They have new electronic tuners out, so I may try agin. If I listened to music while I studied, I'd have to get up and dance, so that wouldn't work. But I did take World of Folk Dance in college and that worked out well. I'd study by putting on music and dancing. Jewish Folk Dance and American were my favorites. African was the most complex.

I don't remember ever listening to music when I was studying. I have learned that there is a place in the brain the records everything that happens to us. Its job is to erase stuff it doesn't think we will need. So, if that is true then listening or learning a piece of music could increase the grey matter. Atleast until the brain figures out what to get rid of. If you see what i mean.

yes..ofcourse..its not music that makes u intelligent.. is it if ur intelligent enough then u are able to composed music...... thats how it works...thats why mozart himself began composing by age of 5..

the brain likes to be used, and the more we use it, and focus on particular skills then the better we become at them. i suspect that having an aptitude for something makes learning a skill easier, but the more we try to do something the better we get at it. i used to play the violin, and read music, but now i play the guitar and sing folk songs, and don't read music, just learn the melody by ear and add some chords, and i am certain that has developed a different part of my brain, which is interesting. i am sure playing an instrument and listening to music does have a positive impact on our brains, but i don't like the idea that that is the only thing that improves intelligence, because intelligence comes in many different forms, all of which should be valued. but stimulating our brains through music seems to me like a very good thing.

This is interesting. I have heard some about it before. I guess I will see. I will listen to Mozart more. I like his music very much. And did you ever notice they used a lot of classical type music in the old cartoons? And this coming year I am taking up piano and guitar. So, I hope I have great success and we will see what else happens.

Yes,classical music is often my favorite music,and I often listen to music when I'm studying or working.I've heard this before that Mozart's music can help improve intelligence.In the harddisk of my computer,there are classical music of different composers,up to about 60GB.And most of the music has been listened to by me.In my mind,Mozart's music sets people to the purest optimism and almost no negative feelings at all.His works has been in existance for over 200 years,but it doesn't appear outdated at all even nowdays.Except the works of Mozart,some music by Bach also has some influence on the mental activity of humans.Sometimes I also listen to music by Chopin,Franz Liszt,Beetoven,Tchaikovsky and many other composers.Music is part of my life.And I'm looking forward to share my ideas on music with you.Here's my mail address: wangexplore1259@gmail.com

It wouldn't hurt to believe in this theory about Mozart and intelligence. If you want score higher on tests and music helps you do that, you might as well listen to some music. Mozart is great so even if it doesn't improve the test scores, it would still relaxes you and have a overall good effect. For me, I like listening to classical music when I study because it helps me concentrate. If Mozarts helps with scores, it would be a nice bonus.

Dunno if music can improve intelligence, but nothing wrong with corrupting your kids with some classical music. I took a few accordion lessons when I was a kid, and I'm teaching myself piano now.

Morning Jenn, classical music has never been a fave of mine so i wouldn't have ever been involved w.the Effect to start witj, lol. I did play clarinet & saxophone when i was in high school plus had 10 years of piano lessons when i was younger.Can't play anything now i'm sure. hope meemee is doing good.

uuumm, i dont think its logical. dont think they will find any proof of it. i love music and listen a lot. dont think its made me any smarter. plus ive known a few people played guitar and my daughters bf listens all the time and plays. not that good either and he and some others seem quite slow in the brain department

We do know that the mind responds to stimulation and so anything that stimulates the senses will affect the mind. I have always studied to music in fact my life has always included music. I know that different types of music affect you in different ways so I try to make my choices with that in mind. Blessings

I play the piano and flute myself and I love playing and listening to pieces by Mozart. Actually I have just played one of his pieces this morning. I have heard that the pieces written by Mozart and Bach can improve one's intelligence but I am not quite sure about this. However, from my experience of learning music, it involves quite a lot of areas in the brain as it is multi-tasking for playing a musical instrument. Using piano as an example, you have to read the score, count, and move your fingers and sometimes your feet as well for the pedal and getting the rythm right do involve some simple calculation. Maybe all these train the musicians' brains but I am not quite sure about this.