It’s an old concept, singing or playing music for your child to lull them to sleep. In addition to getting a decent night’s rest, playing music for you and your child has an added bonus; it makes you smarter.
“There is a lot of research that has been done where people have done studies of the brain,” William Doyle, professor of music, said. “What they have found is that people who have early experiences with music tend to succeed or be better in certain things in life.”
While Doyle was studying at the University of Southern California (USC), he did his dissertation on music and how it has affected people in their lives.
“I took a look at the student population that took music and looked at what their background was,” Doyle said. “Correlating that with their grades, my research showed that the students with a musical background at an early age did better.”
For those who are musicians, music has been a tool that has shaped their lives and guided them to becoming the person they are today.
“Music has changed me for the better. Before I started playing, I was angry all the time,” Nestor Rogel, 21, music major, said. “Music is the only thing that makes sense to me. It is something I can focus my attention on from my outside problems. It makes it seem like everything out there is irrelevant.”
Rogel said he began playing the guitar in high school.  Now in college, Rogel said there isn’t anything else he could see himself majoring in.
“I grew up in a household with music always going on. My family members all play different instruments,” Rogel said.
Studies by the Stanford University News Service have shown that most people who are musically inclined gain mathematical traits because the study of music involves ratios, fractions, proportions and thinking in space and time.
“Most research now shows that music can help develop parts of the brain that are good for mathematics,” Doyle said. “People who excel in music tend to have other higher functions.”
Rogel also noticed that having a musical background has helped him to succeed in other subjects, such as math.
“When it comes to writing musical notes, you need to have a certain number of notes and values depending on the time signatures. It’s very mathematical,” Rogel said. “It has helped me with my math and I’m able to figure out most of the problems inside of my head.”
According to The American Music Therapy Association, people with mental health needs, developmental and learning disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease and other aging related conditions could benefit from music therapy.
Music with strong beats can stimulate brainwaves to resonate in sync with the beat, with faster beats bringing sharper concentration and more alert thinking.  A slower tempo promotes a calm meditative state, according to a research from the Stanford University News Service.
Music not only strengthens the brain, but can add a positive influence to one’s life by uplifting their spirits and allowing for a creative outlet.
Tyler Bozeman, 19, music major, who got his first instrument at the age of eight, has dedicated his life to music ever since.
“Music is my life and if I didn’t listen to music I would be a completely different person,” Bozeman said. “I play guitar whether I’m happy or sad. I feel like I have natural talent for musical instruments, which could be because I come from a musical family.”
According to a Los Angeles Times Article, even if music did little more than lift our spirits, Dr. Antonio Damasio, director of USC’s Brain and Creativity Institute, says, it would be a powerful force in maintaining physical and mental health. The pleasure that results from listening to music we love stimulates the release of neural growth factors that promote vigor, growth an replacement brain cells.
“When I got into music it was like I found my niche. I feel that making music is just as productive as making money, music lives forever and music can help people,” Bozeman said.