Over the last two decades, scientists have been investigating how the brain processes music and the ways in which music and the study of music can affect various aspects of our lives. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms and effects of music-making can help both students and teachers achieve greater levels of success. Recognizing this, The Royal Conservatory of Music has launched a Research Centre to bring together top neuroscientists and educators, along with some of The Conservatory's music students, to carry out world-class empirical research.
The Royal Conservatory of Music's new Research Centre is dedicated to better understanding many different aspects of music education, development, and cognition. The Centre's laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art tools to measure neurological, acoustic, and behavioural factors underlying musical expertise and training, and is housed in the RCM's downtown Toronto facility.
The RCM Research Centre works closely with the Marilyn Thomson Early Childhood Education Centre, Glenn Gould School, Royal Conservatory School, and other Royal Conservatory initiatives to better understand the effect that music can have on the brain and on other aspects of our lives. The Centre has established collaborations with scientists at the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Hospital and McMaster University.
Led by Dr. Sean Hutchins, The Conservatory's Research Centre is tackling questions such as how music and arts training can aid language and cognitive abilities, how musical expertise develops, the role of motor control in performance, and the effects of music on the developing and aging brain.