Global Journal of Human-Social Science, A: Arts and Humanities, Volume 23 Issue 5

Harmonizing Minds: Exploring the Interplay of Music and Physics to Enhance Cognitive Processes in Adolescents Dr. Héctor Reyes Abstract- Is music related to physics? Is there any relationship between music and physics in our brain? It is probably not a coincidence that Brian May or Albert Einstein were good at science and music. It is well known music provokes the activation of several cytoarchitectural regions of the brain. Especially when playing an instrument. To learn physics or even thinking about a new experiment in order to prove a scientific hypothesis requires a good base of mathematics and creativity, implying intuition, well structured knowledge and the ability to develop order from chaos. In this article, the creative process (Wallas’ stages, preparation, incubation, illumination, evaluation) of composing a new musical score and physics learning (or research) are analyzed from a physiological and psychological point of view. There are several common structures in composing music and physics research, especially the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex as a fundamental area of the executive functions. It is possible to consider music and physics as complementary learning tools to improve more general cognitive processes. And we can find applications in education. These processes contribute to students' cognitive development, critical thinking skills and emotional engagement to music. This study is based on positive experiences in practical sessions for twenty years with students from 14 to 18 years old, mixing the analysis of physics and music as complementary activities. Adolescents can be open minded people, they can enjoy not only an opening to science from music but also an opening to music from science. I. I ntroduction here is an historic bond between music and physics. Even though not every physicist played an instrument, a lot of them did. Galileo was a very good lute player. Herschel was a very well considered professional musician before becoming an astronomer and discovering Uranus. Planck, Bohr, Heisenberg used to play the piano. Einstein played the violin. Brian Cox is a keyboard player in a band and Tom Scholz (Boston) and Brian May (Queen) are remarkable guitar players. The list of physicists that also played an instrument is very long, but not always as professional musicians. As we all know, science takes a lot of time. There is also another list of scientists that were interested in music in a different way. Pythagoras, Newton, Huygens or Helmholtz wanted to know about the natural phenomena of sound and music and contributed with different aspects of acoustics and music perception. In this article we are going to explore relationships between music and physics from a neuroscientific perspective to find out that these bonds are probably not a rare casualty between such different worlds. The main thesis of this article is that the main reasoning areas of the brain (specially the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) are involved in both activities and the physiological common structures are also related to a special psychological factor, which is creativity. And it will have educational implications in adolescents, such as improvement of reasoning skills, critical thinking or the appreciation of the beauty of music. It is possible to improve the adolescent executive functions and music-physics relation is a way worth exploring. II. B rief P hysiological N otes When listening to music, the mechanical waves of sound are turned into electrical signals through the cochlea up to the primary auditory cortex: the malleus, incus, and stapes transfer the vibration to a fluid (following Pascal's principle), which bends the stereocilia. The movement will mechanically open or close potassium channels, activating or deactivating the cell. In the cochlea is analyzed the frequency of the sound (tone). Superior temporal sulcus and superior temporal gyrus let us recognize the different timbres, whether it is noise or music. Hippocampus, the memory main structure, connects with another limbic structure, the amygdala (emotions main structure) and the frontal lobe (inferior frontal cortex). Through the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex we pitch sequences and rhythms activate the lateral cerebellum and the cerebellar vermis. The signals are back to the limbic system from the frontal lobe and the auditory thalamus integrates sensory and cortical inputs for processing sounds (1) . All these connections are related to emotions (insula and anterior and posterior cingulate) (2) , as it is also connected to the nucleus accumbens, full of dopamine (related to rewarding and motivation pathways) when we enjoy the music we are listening to. The brain works in parallel processes, interconnecting the information. And if you are a musician, you are watching and reading the sheet of your favorite song by using your Broca's and Wernicke's areas and the visual cortex in the occipital lobe, you are stubing your feet by connecting the sensory cortex (3) . There is no part of the brain working hard at that moment. To play an instrument is probably one of the most activating actions for the brain. T Volume XXIII Issue V Version I 57 Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2023 ( ) A © 2023 Global Journals Author: Fundación Internacional de Educación, Colegio Internacional J. H. Newman, Physics and Chemistry Department, Madrid, Spain. e-mail: hreyes@colegionewman.org