Webinar recording: Bigger Better Brains – using neuroscience to advocate for music

Dr Anita Collins, a researcher and educator, talked about neuro-musical research on the benefits for adult musicians, and how to use this information to boost our advocacy (original event 9 Oct 2024).

Do you know how playing an instrument benefits your brain? If you’ve watched a TEDTalk or read an article about this, the chances are it was created by Dr Anita Collins. The science is compelling, and Anita has gained an impressive reputation for not just spreading the word, but using these facts to make real impacts on music education. So what can Making Music member groups learn from Anita’s approach?  

At this event, we learned about the research that proves that learning and playing a musical instrument (and singing) has lifelong benefits for your brain health, and why we can say with confidence that musicians have 'Bigger Better Brains'. Although Anita often presents on the child’s developing brain, she talked about the adult learner at this event, and why it’s never too late to take up music and reap the many rewards.  

Anita also talked about how people can use research to advocate for the work they do, for many different purposes: from supporting grant applications to supporting learners to move through challenges by helping them understand what is happening in their brain. Her 'Bigger Better Brains' project provides training, tools and support to talk about why music is a such a healthy activity for brains of any age, and can give all of us the confidence to advocate for music learning and our own groups’ activity.  

The views represented by the speakers in this webinar are their own, and do not represent the views of Making Music.

Useful links:

• Find out more about Bigger Better Brains
• Watch the TED-Ed video 'How playing an instrument benefits your brain'

If you have any questions about this event topic, please contact info@makingmusic.org.uk

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