Does playing music makes you a better listener?

The debate that studying music makes people smarter has been around for some time now. Articles from music schools like the one found here are quick to promote this idea while arguments against this theory are fewer and far between.

However, in a recent article published on sciencedaily.com, researchers at Northwestern University argue that "music training has profound effects that shape the sensory system and should be a mianstay of K-12 education."

The original press release from Northwestern University is available here

Researchers at the university have release four studies in the recent year that examine the relevance of music education to human development. A similiar study released on March 3, 2009 reports that musicians' brains are fine-tuned to identify emotion.

In 2007, Northwestern University released another study that concluded that musical training can tune the auditory system.

The evidence that the ability to read and play music positively affects human development is continually growing.