Can learning an instrument make you smarter?

It has long been proved that learning to play a musical instrument actually makes you smarter!  Unfortunately, simply listening to hours of your favourite composer won't quite hack it; you have to put in the effort and practise.

So what causes the human brain to respond in such a manner?  Scientists and psychologists believe the answer is to do with the fact that learning to play a musical instrument is, well, one of the most difficult achievements we can do as human beings. 

Apparently, when the brains of musicians were compared to the brains of non-musicians, the former scored much higher in the percentage of grey matter; that part of the human cerebrum responsible for much of our higher functions such as art, speech, co-ordination, academic ability and so forth.

This phenomenon has also been dubbed the 'Mozart Effect' owing to the ability of the Austrian's music in particular to give an extra IQ boost.  Studies at the University of Toronto confirmed these findings with students performing higher in cognitive tests after being thoroughly immersed in the composer's work.

Furthermore, the effects are not limited to the lower age brackets and show promise with people of all ages.  Those advanced in years can keep degenerative brain conditions like Alzheimer's at bay.  For tiny tots, savvy marketers have jumped on the band wagon and now offer a range of recordings to soothe baby to sleep. 

So, will I be giving up my daily practise for Nintendo Brain Training? 

Perhaps I'll do both.