KMFA Story Seeker Natalie Zeldin explores the behind-the-scene world of classical music to discover the stories that don't always make it into the spotlight, and may not get a standing ovation. This is the fourth article in her series. For more, see her last story on The Unsung Heroes of Classical Music.
What happens to the brains of older adults if they receive intensive music training? That is the question that Kirsten Smayda is exploring in her research.
Smayda is a doctoral student at UT-Austin working in the SoundBrain Lab of Bharath Chandrasekaran and the Psychology lab of Dr. Todd Maddox. She spoke to KMFA about her work on the potential benefits of learning music for the aging brain.
Smayda recently completed a pilot study where she recruited five participants, ages 60-85, with no musical background, and then gave them group piano lessons for an hour each day (along with daily take-home assignments and pactice piano keyboards) for 10 days. She gave these piano students a battery of tests on cognition, perception, and musical ability--both before and after the intensive piano program to measure any changes.
One finding was from this study was that the subjects did significantly better on a measure of speech-in-noise performance in their post-tests. So, what exactly is “speech-in-noise performance”? Imagine trying to understand what someone is saying when there are 2 other voices in the background. Now, imagine having a conversation at a noisy party. With more noise, it is harder to separate the speech signal from the background sound. The lab has already demonstrated that musicians have enhanced perceptual and cognitive processing relative to non-musicians, but this new research suggests that teaching music to non-musicians may bolster their auditory processing, too. Smayda says, “Tentatively, we believe that music training may enhance speech-in-noise perception through perceptual and cognitive means.”
The other interesting discovery was the high level of motivation for those who participated in the program. Music training is a “productive engagement”, meaning that it is an activity that builds towards acquiring a new skill. Lots of research suggests that any new skill older adults learn is good for their brain. And if they enjoy it, even better, they can turn it into a hobby. Anecdotally, Smayda reports that the older adults that participated in the study were motivated and loved being in the program--two of them even went out and bought pianos for themselves after the program finished!
This research is an important first step, but Smayda emphasizes that this research is still in its early stages. Smayda is submitting a proposal in December to continue this work with a more complete experimental model, including more measures and a control group.
In the meanwhile, this research points to the potential therapeutic power of music in boosting cognition in adults. Smayda--who comes from a voice performance and cognitive psychology background--explains, “Music is just enjoyable. People love playing, and when they do it, they just get hooked. They were in the program because they were learning music and enjoying their time in the classroom, figuring out finger patterns on the piano. There is no magic pill that you can take to be set for the rest of your life. Instead, a lifetime of healthy habits with cognitive and perceptual stimulation creates a lifestyle that sets you up for a healthy older adulthood.”
To follow Kirsten Smayda’s research, check out her website here.