Schedule
HostsWays to Give
HomePlaylistSchedule
HostsEventsOn DemandOur StoryOur TeamWays to Give Become a Sponsor
How to ListenVisit Help CenterContact Us

Find Us on Social Media:

Logo image

Find Us on Social Media:

Download Our Mobile App:

google play icon

About

HomePlaylistSchedule
HostsOn DemandOur StoryOur Team

Community

EventsWays to Give Become a SponsorPressDiversity StatementCareersAnnual EEO ReportDigital Accessibility

Help

How to ListenVisit Help CenterContact Us

©2025 Classical California

Sweepstakes RulesFCC ComplianceLocal Public FilesCPB ComplianceAnnual EEO ReportPrivacy PolicyCode of Integrity

articles / Education

How Classical Music Powers a Child’s Brain

EducationKidsMusicologyUSCPop CultureArts Alive Blog


Musicians from the LA Phil’s Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles | Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Philharmonic

Hit play below to listen to our Arts Alive feature.  
How Classical Music Powers a Child’s Brain
00:00
  It may be an exaggeration to say that Mozart makes us smarter, but in a unique study, scientists at USC’s Brain and Creativity Institute (BCI) have linked classical music training with improved brain function in kids.

The researchers have been working with the LA Phil’s Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA) program to study how classical music training affects brain development in kids ages 6-14 who participate in the acclaimed after-school program.

“It’s the sensory-motor integration, learning to translate abstract symbols to meaningful sound,” says Dr. Assal Habibi, a BCI neuroscientist. “And you have to really be careful about adjusting your fine finger movements to create a sound,” she adds, noting that a performance involves all regions of the brain, from the auditory to the sensory, and beyond.


Assal Habibi | Photo by USC Photo/Gus Ruelas

By pulling in so many parts of your brain, playing can increase the efficiency of other skills, even those that don’t seem related. Habibi says there’s evidence music training even helps kids with empathy response and executive function skills like task-switching and delayed gratification.

“It affects their musical abilities, but it also affects their cognitive, social, and emotional development,” Habibi says. “We’ve seen children who have had music training show more robust connectivity (between different sides of the brain), specifically in the areas that connect the frontal lobes, the motor areas, and the sensory areas. That’s an indication of better ability to maybe hold information, integrate information, probably related to creativity later.”

You can read more about the Brain and Creativity Institute, as well as their latest research on this subject, at dornsife.usc.edu.

EducationKidsMusicologyUSCPop CultureArts Alive Blog
Written by:
Zosha Millman
Zosha Millman
Published on 03.23.2020
Loading...

MORE LIKE THIS

Classical Music and Its Powerful Effect on the Brain

Classical Music and Its Powerful Effect on the Brain

Explore the transformative impact of music on the brain with Classical California host Brisa Siegel and USC's Brain and Creativity Institute. Discover how music shapes young minds.

11/04/2024
A New Series of Guest Hosts for “From The Top”

A New Series of Guest Hosts for “From The Top”

"From the Top", a show on KUSC featuring young classical musicians, announces new hosts after parting ways with long-time host Christopher O’Riley.

06/13/2019
Carlo Ponti and the Los Angeles Virtuosi Orchestra Are Funding LA Arts Education by Putting on Concerts

Carlo Ponti and the Los Angeles Virtuosi Orchestra Are Funding LA Arts Education by Putting on Concerts

Carlo Ponti, founder of the Los Angeles Virtuosi Orchestra, uses concert profits to fund music education in local schools, addressing the lack of arts funding in the US.

06/03/2019
Forging a New Era of “From the Top” Through a 3-Day Residency in LA

Forging a New Era of “From the Top” Through a 3-Day Residency in LA

From the Top's new direction under Gretchen Nielsen includes guest hosts and a focus on young musicians' community engagement. The changes follow the departure of former host, Christopher O'Riley.

04/01/2019
How to Make a Film About Film Music

How to Make a Film About Film Music

"Score: A Film Music Documentary", directed by USC grad Matt Schrader, explores film music through interviews with composers. The film has won eight festival awards.

10/01/2018
A Classical Music World Series

A Classical Music World Series

Explore the world of classical music in 1908 and 1948, the years the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians last won the World Series. Discover premieres, births, and deaths in music history.

11/03/2016