Music and the arts are important to teen brain development. HT to Sarah Newton for posting this…
According to Dr. Giedd’s brain research, the best teen activities for the brain are those that involve physical activity, academics and the arts. But many teens spend hours in front of a computer screen, playing video games and watching TV instead of engaging in activities that would stimulate different brain pathways for lifelong learning, enjoyment of the arts and the enjoyment of physical activity.
In his web video lecture on the teen brain, Dr. Giedd shows brain research images and presents a good case for why parents would do teens a favor by encouraging endeavors in sports, music, visual arts, creative writing, dance and drama. An argument could be made that some types of media are more brain friendly than others. If teens are watching TV shows such as American Idol and America’s Got Talent, adolescents may be inspired to pursue artsy activities. Video games such as “Rock Band” and “Dance, Dance Revolution”, ones that offer a taste of the arts might be a small step towards healthy brain connections for teens. Read more.
AllPiano 
Thank you for posting this article. I have been looking for the information related to this subject. What is most refreshing about this article is that it has a video to support the concept of how much development of the brain can benefit from the exposure to music.