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Abstract

Brain, Music, Plasticity and Development Music is an important human ability, which tran - scends cultures and has been present already since prehistoric times. Perceiving and practicing music is an extremely challenging task for the brain, which necessitates numerous cognitive processes. Different levels of musical expertise enable us to investigate the impact of training and learning on the mastery of non-common competences. By this means it can be shown how the brain realizes func- tional and structural adaptation of exceptional challenges. Results of numerous studies show an- atomical and functional differences between mu- sicians and non-musicians. These differences can be observed at various levels during the percep- tion and production of music and certain pro- cesses run faster and more efficiently in musicians than in non-musicians. By observing the develop - ment of musical perception, there are signs that such processes become more efficient with a per - son’s age and that new competences can be gained, which lead to new or modified processes of perception and practice.