Musicians excel at concentrating in noisy environments, study finds at MIT.
The Musicality as a Shield Against Noise
Listening attentively to a voice or melody amidst the hustle and bustle is a daily challenge: the so-called “cocktail party effect”. A joint research between the McGovern Institute at MIT and the Karolinska Institutet reveals why: musicality strengthens the brain mechanisms that filter out noise and dampen distractions.
The Experiment: Two Melodies, One Attentive Mind
Participants listened to two simultaneous melodies, one low (modulated at 39 Hz) and one high (43 Hz). In some trials, the notes alternated over time; in others, they completely overlapped, forcing the brain to choose which one to follow. After each sequence, individuals had to indicate whether the target melody had ended by going up, down, or maintaining the tone.
The Brain Map of Attention
The data revealed that auditory responses faithfully followed the modulation of each melody. In participants with musical training, the brain showed coordination. Automatic attention (bottom-up) focused on the right superior temporal gyrus, while voluntary attention (top-down) activated the left inferior parietal lobule, key to maintaining focus.
Study from MIT and Karolinska reveals that musicality not only enhances auditory perception: it transforms the way the brain processes information and distributes attention. In a world increasingly saturated with stimuli, playing music tunes more than just the ear — it teaches us to listen with the brain.
