1. Good measurable physical effects on the brain and nervous system
2. Good evident effects on the soul, heart, mind, and strength.
Enhanced connectivity between left and right brain functioning
carries over into other activities of living with beneficial effect
Neuro-Physiological (Brain and nerve system) effect of learning the violinIncreased activity and strength to the right hemisphere of your brain. Increased connectivity between the two hemispheres which yields greater communication between those two parts of your brain. This should yield overall greater total function.
This can result in increased co-ordination between analytical details (left brain breaking things down into their component parts) and big-picture thinking (right brain).
Very simply, increased used of the left hand, increases the stimulation of the right brain. To use the left hand for fingering and vibrato and simultaneously use the right for bowing requires a tremendous increase in connectivity between the left and right hemispheres of your brain. Why? Because these two activities must be carried out at the same time, in perfect synchronization, co-ordinated wonderfully.
This growth occurs when the demand is put upon the body and nerve system to carry out such a complex function. In some ways the brain and nervous system have growth similar to a muscle. If you use it, it grows to accommodate the use.
A blind person reading braille through his finger tips can learn to read through one finger feel or through three finger feel. Their brain grows path ways to communicate the sensation from either one, two, or three fingers. It is thought that the three finger read is a broader path than the one finger. This same kind of increased growth of connectivity happens anytime a person increases the normal demand put on a system of their body.
Interesting phenomena:
While sitting at your desk, lift the right knee so the foot is off the floor. Then begin rotating the foot and lower leg in a clock-wise circle.
Without stopping the lower leg rotation, pick up a pencil and write the number 6.
Did you notice your leg stop and reverse direction of rotation? Most people do. This shows many things about brain connections. Maybe we can write more on it later.
Remember, anyone studying the violin will increase these brain connections. Even adults. Yes, a child can benefit in growth by a greater amount than an adult, but it has been shown that adults also have ability to grow more brain connections.
The Violin Player 