Mozart effect - classical music increases intelligence. Mozart effect, music and the development of intelligence

Ecology of consumption. Informative: The rhythms, melodies and high frequencies of Mozart's music stimulate and load the creative and motivational areas of the brain...

The most extraordinary music is that of Mozart: neither fast nor slow, flowing but not boring, and charming in its simplicity. This musical phenomenon, which has not yet been fully explained, has been called the "Mozart effect".

Popular actor Gerard Depardieu experienced it to the fullest. The fact is that young Zhezhe, who came to conquer Paris, did not speak French well and also stuttered. famous doctor Alfred Tomatis advised Gerard to listen to Mozart for at least two hours every day! " magical flute"and indeed can work wonders - after a few months, Depardieu spoke as he sang.

The uniqueness and extraordinary power of Mozart's music is most likely due to his life, especially the circumstances that accompanied his birth. Mozart was conceived in a rare environment. His prenatal existence was a daily immersion in the world of music. The violin of the father sounded in the house, which, of course, had a tremendous impact on the development of the nervous system and the awakening of cosmic rhythms even in the womb. The musician's father was a bandmaster, that is, the conductor of choirs and musical chapels in Salzburg, and his mother, the musician's daughter, played a colossal role in his musical development. She sang songs and serenades even at the stage of pregnancy. Mozart was born literally molded from music.

The power of Mozart's music first came to public attention through pioneering research at the University of California in the early 1990s. At the Irvine Center for Neuroscience, which studies the processes of pedagogy and memory, a group of researchers began to study the impact of Mozart's music on students and adolescents.

Frances X. Rauscher, Ph.D., and her colleagues conducted a study that tested thirty-six university graduates from the psychology department on the Spatial Intelligence Index (on the standard Stanford-da-Binet intelligence scale). The result was 8-9 points higher for the subjects who listened to Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major for ten minutes. Although the effect of listening to music lasted only ten to fifteen minutes, Dr. Rauscher's group concluded that the relationship between music and spatial thinking is so strong that just listening to music can have a significant effect.

Mozart's music can "warm up the brain," suggested Gordon Shaw, a theoretical physicist and one of the researchers, after the results were announced. - We assume that complex music excites equally complex neural patterns that are associated with higher forms of mental activity, such as mathematics and. Conversely, simple and monotonous intrusive music can have the opposite effect.

The day after the openings in Irvine were reported, the record stores of one big city instantly sold out all recordings of Mozart's compositions.

Although then interest in the "Mozart effect" waned a bit, as several skeptics published their doubts about the phenomenon. But on closer examination, it turned out that classical music really has a strong effect on the human brain.

All experiments to study the phenomenon are based on the assumption that music affects the brain at the anatomical level, making it more mobile. And for children, it can mean the formation neural networks have a strong influence on the mental development of the child.

Numerous opponents, trying to prove experimentally that no "Mozart effect" exists, regularly come to the conclusion that their judgments are wrong.Recently, another skeptic has changed his mind about Mozart's music. Eric Seigel of Elmhurst College in Illinois used a spatial reasoning test to do this. The subjects had to look at two letters E, one of which rotated at an angle with respect to the other. And than more angle, the more difficult it was to determine whether the letters were the same or different. The milliseconds spent by the subject comparing letters were the measure that determined the level of the subject's spatial thinking. To Seigel's surprise, those subjects who listened to Mozart before the test identified the letters much more accurately.

IN Harvard University another skeptic, psychologist Christopher Chabry, analyzed 16 studies of the Mozart effect, which included a total of 714 people. He did not find any beneficial effect of the music of the great composer and so far came to the conclusion that the subjects were due to a phenomenon that psychologists call "joyful excitement." Music improves mood, and subjects - test results. But Chabri decided to continue a series of experiments to study the phenomenon, so it is quite possible that soon the camp of supporters of the "Mozart effect" will be replenished with another serious scientist.

The researchers concluded that regardless of the tastes or previous experience of the listeners, Mozart's music invariably produced a calming effect on them, improved spatial perception and the ability to more clearly and clearly express themselves in the process of communication. There is no doubt that the rhythms, melodies and high frequencies of Mozart's music stimulate and energize the creative and motivational areas of the brain. published

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Mozart's music has a universal positive impact. It surprisingly accurately finds various “pain” points and organically integrates into the most invisible corners of the soul and body of every person. This phenomenon allows us to speak of the so-called Mozart effect.

The impact of music on the human body has not yet been practically studied. But something is already known. At least the fact that all systems of the human body work in a certain rhythm.

American scientists conducted the following experiment: they tested a group of volunteers on "IQ"; then for 10 minutes the group listened to piano music Mozart; then testing again. Result: the second test on "IQ" showed an increase in intelligence by an average of 9 units. Scientists of our continent have proved that listening to Mozart's works increases intellectual ability almost all people, regardless of gender and age. The most interesting thing is that mental abilities increase even among those who do not like Mozart. In addition, people's concentration of attention increases from this music.

As a result of many years of observation, doctors came to the conclusion that Mozart's sonata for two pianos in C major helps those who suffer from Alzheimer's disease. Mozart's sonatas reduce the number of epileptic seizures. In Sweden, women in labor listen to Mozart's music before giving birth, which, according to scientists, reduces infant mortality. In the United States, Mozart's music is used in the treatment of neurological diseases. This therapy improves fine motor skills hands How do you like this information? Impressive?

Many scientists of the world agree that Mozart's music has a miraculous healing power. It improves hearing, memory and ... speech. How?

According to one version, Mozart's music contains a large number of high-frequency sounds. It is these frequencies that carry the healing load. These sounds, which vibrate at a frequency of 3000 to 8000 Hz, resonate with the cerebral cortex and improve memory and thinking. These same sounds strengthen the microscopic muscles of the ear.

It was Mozart's music that helped the French otolaryngologist Alfred Tomatis overcome Gerard Depardieu's stuttering. Two hours of daily listening to Mozart's music drove stuttering out of my mouth in two months famous actor. Before that, he could not finish a single sentence. After this therapy, he not only cured his stuttering and got rid of problems with his right ear, but also learned the process of thinking.

And here's another, almost fairy tale. Once upon a time there was an old sick marshal. His name was Richelieu Louis Francois de Vinro. Old age and disease are always around. And the marshal was already 78 years old, a considerable age for any person. His illnesses completely crippled him. And now he lies on his deathbed, his eyes are closed, only his lips move slightly. When they listened to the fading whisper of the old man, they heard the last request of the dying. And he asked for little: that in his last minutes a Mozart concerto was played in front of him. His favorite concert.

How was it to refuse a man in his dying request. The musicians came and played. When the last sounds of music died down, those close to him expected to see another marshal who had departed to the world. But a miracle happened. They saw that before their eyes the marshal began to come to life. Listened to Mozart's concert "driven away" death and returned to man vitality. Maybe someone was dissatisfied with this turn of events, but not Richelieu Louis Francois de Vinro, who recovered and lived happily until he was 92 years old. Believe it or not, but all of Europe knows this story of an amazing resurrection.

In general, Mozart's music is useful at any age. It helps children to better cope with their studies and overcome impaired coordination of movements, improves speech and calms them down when they are nervous. It has been proven, for example, that educational material is better absorbed if 10-minute “musical breaks” are arranged during the learning process, and babies who listened to Mozart even before they were born, while in the womb, were later easier to calm down to his music. As for adults, Mozart can help them improve their hearing and cope with mental problems.

"Music helps to increase concentration, enhances the ability to intuitive thinking."

Don Campbell

In the middle of the last century, the French scientist and otolaryngologist Alfred Tomatis proved: for the crumbs it has magical properties. It gives the child a sense of security and confidence, helps to grow and develop. But what if there are no parents around? As a substitute, Tomatis suggested the music of Amadeus Mozart.

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“This composer is a wonderful mother. In 50 years of practice, I have gone through a large number of composers. I still continue to try new forms and types. musical art, such as choral singing, folk music, classical works. But the power of Mozart, especially his violin concertos, has the most healing effect on the human body.
Alfred Tomatis

Later, Tomatis' research was confirmed by American scientists. At the end of the last century, the scientist Don Campbell called such a healing effect of the classics the Mozart effect.

Why Mozart?

Scientists have concluded that Mozart's music the best way suitable for kids, and they attribute this to the fact that the composer himself began to write music at the age of 4. In the music of Amadeus Mozart there are smooth 20-30-second "loud-soft" alternations, as well as many high-frequency sounds that have a healing effect. They develop thinking and memory, train the microscopic muscles of the middle ear and normalize the work of the whole organism.

Mozart's music can have a positive impact on any person. However, in the case of adults, the effect lasts only a few minutes. The psyche of children is much more receptive. Some scientists even talk about structural changes in the brain under the influence of the classics. So, American psychotherapists have been monitoring young children for 5 years. It turned out that the kids who attended music classes for 2 years improved their intellectual abilities and spatial thinking.

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What are the healing properties of classical music?

3. Increases intelligence and improves memory.

The works of Mozart and other composers of the Baroque era increase concentration and academic performance. They activate both hemispheres of the brain, which contributes to easy and quick assimilation of the material. During classes, it is good to arrange 10-minute musical breaks, which will help the child relax. Psychotherapists also advise enrolling a child in music school- playing any instrument improves memory and develops intelligence.

4. Soothes, promotes falling asleep.

For most adults, prolonged listening to a piece by Bach acts like a sleeping pill. soothes nervous system, reduces pressure, normalizes work internal organs. As a sleeping pill for kids, both classics and folklore are suitable. The child needs your voice: it calms, gives a sense of security. And in this case, it doesn't matter what you sing: folk song or works by Mozart.

And you know what...

As a child, Gerard Depardieu suffered from severe stuttering. He was cured by Alfred Tomatis, who ordered the future actor to listen to Mozart 2 hours a day for several months in a row.

We subjected these animals [rats] in the womb and sixty days after birth various types auditory stimulation, and then led them into a spatial labyrinth. And, of course, the animals that were subjected to the Mozart effect completed the maze faster and with fewer errors. Now we dissect animals and study their brains to neuro-anatomically accurately identify what specifically changed in the brain from this impact. It is possible that intense exposure to music has similar effects on the spatial regions of the brain's hippocampus. – Dr. Francis Rauscher

That children's experiences in their first years of life ultimately determine their scholastic abilities, their future careers, and their ability to start love relationship, almost unsupported by neuroscience. — John Brewer

The Mozart effect is a term coined by Alfred A. Tomatis for the supposed enhancement of brain development that occurs in children under the age of 3 when they listen to the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The idea for the Mozart effect originated in 1993 at the University of California, Irvine, with physicist Gordon Shaw and Francis Rauscher, a former cellist and cognitive development specialist. They studied the impact on several dozen students of the first 10 minutes of Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major (op. 448). They found a temporal improvement in space-time thinking, as measured by the Stanford-Binet scale. Numerous attempts have been made to replicate these results, but most have failed (Willingham 2006). One of the researchers noted that “the best that can be said about the results of their study is that listening to Mozart recordings on a short time increases IQ” (Linton). Rauscher went on to study the effects of the Mozart effect on rats. Shaw and Rauscher believe that listening to Mozart improves spatial reasoning and memory in humans.

In 1997, Rauscher and Shaw announced they had received scientific evidence that learning to play the piano and sing is superior to computer learning in developing children's abstract thinking skills.

The experiment included three groups of preschoolers: one group received private piano and singing lessons, the second group received private computer lessons, and the third group received no training. Those children who received piano training scored 34% higher on tests of space-time ability than others. These results show that music unambiguously develops higher functions the brain needed to study mathematics, chess, science and technology ("Neurological Research", February 1997).

The show and Rauscher kick-started an entire industry. In addition, they created their own institute: the Neuro Institute musical development intellect (MIND). They do numerous studies to prove the amazing effects of music, they even set up a website to keep track of all the news regarding these studies.

Shaw and Rauscher allege that their work has been misrepresented. In fact, they showed "that there are structures of neurons that fire one after the other and that there seem to be regions of the brain that respond to certain frequencies." This is not the same as showing that listening to Mozart increases intelligence in children. However, Shaw is not going to wait for more convincing evidence, because even without this he does not lack in parents who want to increase the IQ of their own children. He released a book as well as a CD titled Remember Mozart. This disc can be ordered and purchased from the Shaw Institute. He and his colleagues are sure that since space-time thinking plays essential role when solving cognitive problems, stimulation of the related areas of the brain during exercise will increase the ability of a person. The show and its staff sell a special computer program, which, with the assistance of a lively cartoon penguin, contributes to the development of spatial thinking for everyone.

Shaw and Rauscher gave rise to an entire industry, but the media and non-critical people have created an alternative science that supports this industry. Exaggerated and false claims about the impact of music have become so hackneyed that trying to correct them would be a waste of time. For example, Jamal Munshi, a university business administrator from Sonoma County, collects poignant news about misinformation and gullibility. He posts them on his website under the heading "Strange but true." There is information about the experiments of Shaw and Rauscher, which demonstrated that listening to a Mozart sonata "increases the student's scientific and technical ability score by 51 points." In fact, Shaw and Rauscher handed out test papers to 36 UCLA students and found that when listening to Mozart music, participants showed a temporary improvement of 8-9% in their personal performance compared to a similar test given after listening to relaxation music. (The Munshi also claims that science cannot explain how flies fly. Scientists are working on this important problem, so we have to give them credit. Some even claim to know how insects fly.)

Don Campbell, supporter of the views of Carlos Castaneda and P.T. Barnum, exaggerates and distorts the work of Shaw, Rauscher and others to his advantage. He has trademarked the expression "The Mozart Effect" and sells himself and his products at www.mozarteffect.com. Campbell claims that the blood clot in his brain dissipated thanks to prayers and an imaginary vibrating hand inside the right side of the skull. Gullible proponents of alternative medicine do not question this claim, although it is one of the claims that cannot be proven or disproved. He could also argue that the clot was dissolved thanks to the angels. (I wonder why he had a blood clot if music has such a good effect on a person. Maybe he listened to rap?)

Campbell's claims about the impact of music are reminiscent of the rococo style in color. And like Rococo, they are just as artificial. (Campbell claims that music can cure all ills.) He presents his evidence in narrative form and misinterprets it. Some of his results are absolutely fantastic.

All his arguments collapse at the slightest intervention of common sense. If Mozart's music can improve health, why did Mozart himself get sick often? If listening to Mozart improves intelligence, why are the most smart people do not belong to connoisseurs of Mozart's work?

The lack of evidence for the Mozart effect has not stopped Campbell from becoming the favorite of the naive and gullible audiences to whom he lectures.

When McCall's needs advice on how to get rid of sadness with music, when PBS wants to interview an expert on how voice can energize you, when IBM needs a consultant on how to use music to increase productivity, when the National Association cancer survivors need a speaker who can talk about the healing role of music, they turn to Campbell. (Campbell site)

The governors of Tennessee and Georgia have established a program whereby a CD of Mozart is given to every newborn. The Florida State Legislature Passed a Bill Requiring Classical Music to be Played Every Day in State-Funded Nurseries educational institutions. Hundreds of hospitals received free classical music CDs in May 1999 from the National Recording Academy and the Science Foundation. It is unlikely that these good intentions are based on solid research that classical music enhances a child's intelligence or speeds up the healing process in adults.

According to Kenneth Steele, professor of psychology at Appalachian state university, and John Brewer, director of the James McDonnell Foundation in St. Louis, listening to Mozart has no real impact on intellectual performance or health. Steele and her colleagues Karen Bass and Melissa Crook claim they relied on Shaw and Rauscher's reports but couldn't "find any effect" even though their study included 125 students. They concluded that "there is very little evidence to support the implementation of programs based on the existence of the Mozart effect." Their study, published in July 1999. Two years later, some researchers reported in the same journal that the observed effects were associated with "higher mood and arousal" (Willingham 2006).

In his book The Myth of the First Three Years of Life, Brewer criticizes not only the Mozart effect, but also several other myths based on misinterpretation. latest research brain.

The Mozart effect is an example of how science and media are intertwined in our world. A message a few paragraphs long scientific journal becomes a universal truth within a few months, which is believed even by scientists who know how the media can distort and distort the results. Others, smelling money, go over to the side of the winner, adding their own myths, dubious claims and distortions to the common piggy bank. Then many credulous supporters close their ranks and come out in defense of the faith, because the future of our children is at stake. We happily buy books, cassettes, CDs, etc. Soon, millions believe in the myth, considering it scientific fact. Then the process encounters a slight critical resistance, because we already know that music can affect feelings and moods. Then why shouldn't it affect intelligence and health, at least a little and temporarily? It's just common sense, isn't it? Yes, and one more reason for skepticism.

Glad to meet you, dear friends!

The power of music has been known for a long time, it can influence mood, evoke different emotions. Each person has their own "ideal" melody, and musical preferences vary from person to person.

Aesthetic pleasure is not the only plus musical works. There are melodies that can not only cheer up, but also improve mental abilities, make the brain work more efficiently.

Classical works have special power, and the concept of the Mozart effect is still being studied. The hypothesis that the music of a great composer causes increased brain activity.

And in childhood promotes the formation of new synapses or connections in the brain continues to be investigated by scientists today. The Mozart effect for children has proven effectiveness.

What is the miraculous effect?

Conducting various studies, scientists found that, for example, rats that were playing Mozart's music went through a winding maze better than their counterparts, who lived in silence.

And university students did better on the test than their classmates who listened to popular songs or were in silence.

During the study of the brain by magnetic resonance, it was found that certain parts of the brain react to musical accompaniment, but only Mozart's works caused a reaction of the entire brain.

Surprisingly, the fact is that the "Mozart effect" exists and allows parents to early years use this additional method to successful development children.

Some researchers make assumptions that such a unique feature of these particular melodies stems from the fact that the composer himself began his career very early, already at the age of 4, Mozart began to compose. It is possible that at some intuitive level he created works that, in terms of their frequencies and rhythms, coincide with the biorhythms of the human brain.

Benefits for expectant mothers

Popular ones suggest starting the process of playing learning from the cradle, that is, as early as possible. The "Mozart effect" can help mothers begin the development of the baby even at the time of his stay in the womb.

It has long been known that, being in the mother's tummy, the baby can perceive the words addressed to him, easily adopts the mother's emotions and, of course, hears the surrounding sounds.

Listening to Mozart's work during pregnancy is a great start for the successful development of the toddler and the relaxation of the woman herself.

At this point, the baby is likely to respond vividly with movements. Such a pastime will surely reap benefits in the future.

There is an opinion that the music that the baby often listened to while in the womb in life will be soothing for him. A pregnant woman can arrange musical pauses at any comfortable time, sitting comfortably and enjoying wonderful sounds that will have a beneficial effect on both her body and the development of the baby.

Listening is also practiced in European countries classical works in maternity hospitals, which, of course, has a positive effect on the condition of mothers and babies.

Benefits for toddlers

The power of music is also manifested in its healing properties. Application practice musical compositions During the period of recovery of newborns after a birth injury, caesarean section, difficult childbirth or due to prematurity, it was noticed that the recovery process was faster.

Similar conclusions were made on the basis of the readings of devices that monitor the vital processes of crumbs undergoing rehabilitation for one reason or another.

Keeping in mind the studies that were conducted by many scientists, we can say that it is useful to start listening to Mozart's works as early as possible, because, as you know, the development of the human brain actively occurs before the age of three.

What influences Mozart's music

Scientists say that music really affects the development of children. What exactly does listening to Mozart's works influence:

1. In addition to the obvious benefit in the form of improved hearing, it has a beneficial effect on future speech abilities.
2. Actively activates parts of the brain little man responsible for his creative potential, that is, it may affect exactly the area that in the future will give him a certain talent or skill.
3. Children calm down more easily under these author's melodies, as they are very close to the timbre of the human voice.
4. The activity of the brain intensifies, while listening, the entire brain “turns on” and even those areas that are not subject to other works.

You can listen to songs at any time. You should rely only on your own feelings and mood of the crumbs, because positive emotions bring even more productivity.

Definitely, you should not do this around the clock, it will be enough to turn on melodies during feeding, games. The process will become especially interesting if mom and baby dance to the music or make it the background of their play activities.

Summarizing

It is safe to say that the "Mozart effect" is not a myth, it really exists. The study continues today, but even now every mother can use such a wonderful “tool” as music to help her baby grow and develop to the fullest.

Of course, no researcher or educator claims that if a child grew up without musical accompaniment, he will not become successful, talented or lose something in his development - no.

A person can develop almost all skills independently, both in childhood and already at a conscious age, if he has sufficient perseverance, the desire to work in the direction he has chosen.

The music of a great genius can be a wonderful useful and pleasant addition. Listening to Mozart compositions does not guarantee an incredible learning outcome and will not make a child a child prodigy, but it may help him discover more resources for their further successful application.

This action will not take much time and will require almost no effort from the outside, so why not take the opportunity and enjoy the amazing effect right now.

I hope the article was useful to you.

Enjoy music and be happy!

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