Listening to, learning and playing music activates many interconnected regions of the brain. The frontal lobe and hippocampus receive auditory input, the auditory cortex lets people hear sounds, the amygdala helps people respond emotionally and the temporal lobe helps people process language and contributes to their understanding of lyrics and ability to memorize songs.

The brain is plastic, meaning it has the capacity to change over time as people, especially young kids, are introduced to new stimuli, knowledge and experiences. Some aspects of music education directly build crucial skills made possible by the brain’s plasticity, while other aspects of learning music emphasize additional skills by positively altering how kids think.