I expect you know that your brain is divided into two hemispheres: left and right. It was once thought that each hemisphere performed a different set of discrete functions. But we know now that’s not quite true, and that whatever it is you’re getting up to, you’ll be using several areas, and of both sides of the brain at once.

However, it’s still true to say that for most ‘normally organised’ people, logical thinking is done predominantly in the left hemisphere and the creative stuff, in the right.

It is said, and probably, for obvious reasons, that the more you are able to use both sides of your brain for any activity, the more of your brain you bring into commission, and the more resourceful you can be.

Which means that the left side and the right side need to be able to talk to each other.

And they do that through a central channel of nerves called the corpus callosum. It’s like a superhighway of communication, or at least you hope it is!

We’ve known for many years now, that the brains of musicians tend to respond more symmetrically to music, and that you can therefore train your brain to develop more communication, between left and right, by learning to play a musical instrument.

But not any musical instrument it turns out.

The effect is more pronounced in piano players than in for example, violinists, and that’s thought to be because both hands are being used in a similar way when you are playing the keyboard. With string players, each hand performs a different function and action, and doesn’t have the same effect on the brain.

This allows us to irrefutably conclude that keyboard players are superior beings.

By the way, did I mention that I’m a pianist…?   🙂

Peter Bence must have a colossal corpus!

The answer to last week’s quiz:

It was Janet Webb’s speech when she appeared at the end of each programme in one season of the Morcambe and Wise show, taking all the credit for the show she otherwise had absolutely nothing to do with!!!

Congratulations to our winner, Mark Harris, who will be collecting his prize next week.

This week’s question:

Who was Margarita Pracatan? And who can explain this? (I can see the title of the song written under the video and I still don’t recognise it!)

It’ll have you reaching for your ear-plugs!

And talking of famous pianists…
Here’s that fab, ahem… ‘musical’ sketch with the world-renowned orchestral leader, André Previn.

https://www.chortle.co.uk/video/2019/02/28/42422/morecambe_&_wise_&_andre_previn