Wow! Playing Music Benefits Your Brain More Than Any Other Activity.

If you’re interested in strengthening your brain, playing a musical instrument is the best exercise you can do to improve brain function, make you happier and protect against dementia.

Learning to play an instrument actually changes brain structure and improves functioning better than any so-called brain games. Those who learn to play when they are young also have better long-term memory and brain development.

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A study completed by researchers at the University of Montreal found musicians tend toward more mental alertness over those who don’t play.

Head researcher Simon Landry said,

The more we know about the impact of music on really basic sensory processes, the more we can apply musical training to individuals who might have slower reaction times. As people get older, for example, we know their reaction times get slower. So if we know that playing a musical instrument increases reaction times, then maybe playing an instrument will be helpful for them.

Previous to this study, Landry discovered musicians have faster auditory, tactile, and audio-tactile reaction times, and an altered statistical use of multisensory information.

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In other words, playing an instrument is a complex and emotional task requiring multiple senses, inputs and fine motor skills. This is what changes the brain and can also help musicians be successful in other fields, like business.

Scans of brains actually show physical differences between musicians and non-musicians. The huge bundle of nerves connecting the two sides of the brain, or the corpus callosum, is larger in the brains of musicians.

Learning an instrument at a young age leads to the biggest brain differences. Even if someone doesn’t dedicate the rest of their lives to an instrument, there are still drastic changes caused by even moderate or intermittent study. That’s because music instruction makes these changes in the brain more efficiently than any other activity (that we know of).

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From strengthening speech processing to protecting against dementia, learning to play an instrument is like lifting weights for your brain. So forget the dumb brain games on your phone. Pick up guitar or find a piano teacher.

Your brain will thank you.

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After a head injury, Derek Amato was diagnosed…

After a head injury, Derek Amato was diagnosed with Acquired Musical Savant Syndrome, and suddenly could play expert level piano. When asked during an interview to perform a simple song, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”. He attempted, struggled, and gave up.

Here Are Some Hilarious Tweets About ‘Frozen 2’ from Parents

We know that if your kids are of a certain age, you’ve already taken them to see Frozen 2…at least once. There’s no escape, and you know it.

Just remember, you’ll be hearing your kids sing the songs from this movie for the next couple years, so get used to it and go with the flow.

Just let it go.

Let us begin…

1. Look what you started.

2. Taking it to a new level.

3. She’s had enough.

4. She needs to learn.

5. Booyah!

6. You’ll probably have to camp out.

7. Might need to hit that 100 mark.

8. Couldn’t go with that one.

9. Oh, great…

10. That’s nacho cheese!

11. Done for a while…

12. SPOILERS EVERYONE

13. This is what you have to look forward to.

14. Lots of snoozing going on.

15. Aw. That’s nice

How many times have you taken your kids to see Frozen 2 so far?

Let us know all about it in the comments!

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A Guy Pranked San Francisco by Placing Airpod Stickers All over Town

AirPods aren’t cheap and everybody wants a pair of them. Also, if you do own a pair, you know by now that you can lose them at any moment. It’s kind of like owning a pair of earrings or a wedding ring that you regularly take off and put somewhere random.

Some funny fellow took advantage of the AirPods phenomenon and decided to pull a prank…on the entire city of San Francisco. A guy named Pablo Rochat printed up life-sized AirPod stickers and stuck them on the ground all over San Francisco.

They look very realistic, so you know that people who saw these on the ground either thought to themselves, “Shit, I just dropped an AirPod”, or “Awesome, someone else dropped their AirPod and now it’s MINE.”

Rochat said, “I often see people drop their AirPods, so I thought it would be funny to make it look like people are dropping their AirPods all over the city and see if people would try to pick them up.”

Rochat added, “That’s the best part. I love putting AirPod stickers on the ground and standing back to see people try to pick them up. Some people are amused by it, but a few have been angry that they were pranked. Joke’s on them!”

Here’s the best part: if you want to try this out in your hometown, Rochat tweeted out the free template for the AirPod stickers so we can all get in on the action. I’m know what I’m gonna do this weekend…I hope I don’t get beat up…again.

LOLzzzzzzzzz.

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You Might Not Recognize These Famous People from Their Younger Days

We know exactly what today’s Hollywood heartthrobs looked like when they were younger because most of them have literally grown up before our eyes on the screen, in the tabloids, and on social media.

Ryan Reynolds anyone?

But what about the older folks who paved the way? Let’s take a look at what some iconic celebrities looked like when they were much, much younger.

1. Betty White

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#wcw #youngbettywhite #bettywhite

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2. Ian McKellen

3. Patrick Stewart

4. James Earl Jones

5. Christopher Walken

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Happy FRIDAY! #youngchristopherwalken #what

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6. Helen Mirren

7. Bill Gates

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Monday✊🏼 #BillGatesMugShot

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8. Dolly Parton

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😍♥ now that’s a look #inspiration #youngdollyparton

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9. Bernie Sanders

10. Willie Nelson

11. Martha Stewart

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🌿 MARTHA MOOD 🍂 #marthastewart

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12. Diane Keaton

13. Morgan Freeman

14. David Letterman

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#YoungDavidLetterman #hotfunnyman🔥

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15. Dr. Phil

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#TBT

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Those are kind of wild!

Dr. Phil? Wow!

The post You Might Not Recognize These Famous People from Their Younger Days appeared first on UberFacts.

The Octobass Is Nearly Too Big to Play – or Hear

Get a load of this instrument.

You might never have seen an octobass in person – but if you have, there’s no way you’ll ever forget it.

The wooden instrument is 12 feet tall and capable of producing sounds so low the human ear has trouble detecting them. And even though it otherwise resembles its smaller cousins (a bass, cello, violin, or viola), even a professional basketball player would need to stand on something to reach its neck.

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Throughout history human society have created thousands of various music instruments – and some of them are rather strange. One of such instruments, the Octobass, was constructed in 1850 by certifiable genius and fan of massive string instruments Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume. The Octobass is a chuffing massive double bass that stands at 3.5 meters tall. Which is ridiculous, really, seeing as it's too big to play with the hands – there are elaborate foot-pedals to make it possible. Apparently Berlioz was a fan, and wrote about it in his treatise on orchestration. What weird and bizarre music instruments do you know? Share with us! За свою истортю человечество создало тысячи различных видов музыкальных инструментов, и некоторые из них оказались довольно странными. Одним из таких стал октобас (или субконтрабас), созданный в 1850 году французским скрипичным мастером и поклонником больших струнных инструментов Жаном Батистом Вийомом, и представляющий из себя массивный контрабас высотой около трех с половиной метров. Это смешно, но инструмент слишком большой, чтобы играть на нем руками – для этого был применен сложный механизм с использованием педалей. Видимо, Берлиоз был впечатлен октобасом и написал о нем в своем трактате об оркестровке. О каких странных инструментах знаете вы? Расскажите нам! #interestingfacts #musicfacts #musichistory #classicalmusic #history #octobass #huge #doublebass #bizarre #weird #musicinstrument #invention #why #how #интересно #фактыомузыке #историямузыки #октобас #огромный #контрабас #странно #инструмент #изобретение #как #зачем #почему

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The octobass produces sound in the same manner as other string instruments: the player holds down certain strings in specific patterns, drawing out or shortening the sounds by plucking, strumming, or bowing the strings. In addition to knowing which strings to push, though, someone learning the octobass must also become familiar with a series of levels used to press down the strings.

Then they handle a (very heavy and large) bow, drawing it across the strings.

The instrument was designed and constructed by French luthier Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume in 1850, and for a long time, two musicians worked together to play it. Modern uses are few and far between, partly because there are only three playable replicas in the world – one in Phoenix, one in Paris, and another in Oslo.

Nico Abondolo, principal bass player with the LA Chamber Orchestra had the opportunity to play one, and called it “a surreal experience.”

It tunes to two full octaves below a cello and one octave below a double bass (or the lowest note on a piano), extending to a C note pitched at 16 hertz – lower than the normal range of human hearing, which ends around 20 hertz.

Colin Pearson, curator of the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, explains why he’s so excited to have one nearby.

“It’s wonderful for demonstrating how sound waves work, and how a string vibrates. These strings are so large and so massive that the vibrations are slow enough for us to actually see them.”

Science project or not, there’s one thing the octobass can do that nothing else can in quite the same way – play the theme song from Jaws.

So even if you’re not a science or music buff, there’s still a good reason to keep one around.

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Jon Bon Jovi Has Two Restaurants Where People in Need Can Eat for Free

I grew up in the 1980s and was fully on-board with the music of the time, and Bon Jovi was always one of my favorite bands. Also, Jon Bon Jovi himself just always seemed like a really genuine, nice guy compared to a lot of other rock stars.

It turns out my feeling was right on the money.

In addition to his incredibly successful music career, Bon Jovi started the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation to help fight poverty and homelessness. As part of his initiative, he’s opened two restaurants in his native New Jersey called JBJ Soul Kitchen where needy people can eat for free, one in Red Bank and one in Toms River. The project was actually the brainchild of Bon Jovi’s wife, Dorothea Hurley.

There are no menu prices at JBJ Soul Kitchen, but patrons who can pay are encouraged to donate $20 and those who don’t have enough money are urged to volunteer at the restaurant.

The two restaurants have already served more than 100,000 people, and, according to their website, 54% of people paid for their meals and 46% volunteered in order to eat a meal. Reservations are not required, but those who are in need are given first priority. The meals consist of three courses, are nutritious and contain vegetables grown in the restaurant’s gardens.

Bon Jovi’s foundation also focuses on providing housing to those in need, including veterans.

What the heck, let’s end with a classic Bon Jovi tune, shall we?

Great work, Mr. Bon Jovi! Keep it up!

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These Interesting Facts Might Make You Say ‘Wait, What?’

WOW.

These facts are good. Damn good, if I do say so myself.

I think you’ll agree.

Go ahead and see for yourself…

1. There’s something out there…

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2. That sounds nice right about now.

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3. I’m in big trouble.

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4. They are definitely real.

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5. Gotta pay your dues.

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6. Yes! More of this!

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7. A legend.

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8. Gettin’ it on!

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9. That makes perfect sense.

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10. Does this pertain to you?

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Are you wowed? Like, majorly wowed?

I think you are…thanks for stopping by!

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You Might Not Know That These 15 Songs Were Written About Celebrities

Musicians write songs about personal experiences, and it seems like there’s always speculation about who one song or another might be about.

Well, finally we have some answers! All 15 of these songs were written about a particular famous person, and you might be surprised by some of them.

These answers come to us from the Buzzfeed community.

1. Gym Class Heroes “Cupid’s Chokehold”

“Cupid’s Chokehold” by The Gym Class Heroes was written about Katy Perry. She used to date the lead singer, Travie McCoy.

2. Coldplay “Fix You”

“Fix You” by Coldplay was written by Chris Martin for Gwyneth Paltrow (his wife at the time) after her father died.

3. Katy Perry “California Gurls”

“California Gurls” by Katy Perry was aimed at Jay-Z and Alicia Keys as a response to their “Empire State of Mind.” She wanted there to be a song to represent California.

4. Ed Sheeran “Don’t”

“Don’t” by Ed Sheeran is about Ellie Goulding cheating on him with Niall from One Direction.

5. Eminem “The Warning”

“The Warning” by Eminem is a clapback at Mariah’s “Obsessed.”

6. Outkast “Ms. Jackson”

“Ms. Jackson” by Outkast was an apology to Erykah Badu and her mother after Badu and Andre 3000 broke up.

7. Nick Jonas “Wedding Bells”

“Wedding Bells” by Nick Jonas is about his ex-girlfriend Miley Cyrus’s engagement to Liam Hemsworth.

8. Nirvana “Heart-Shaped Box”

The song “Heart-Shaped Box” is about Courtney Love and her vagina.

9. Taylor Swift “Better Than Revenge”

Taylor Swift wrote “Better Than Revenge” about Camilla Belle dating Joe Jonas (her ex).

10. Muse “Madness”

“Madness” by Muse is about Matt Bellamy’s (the lead singer) relationship with Kate Hudson. It was inspired by a fight they had.

11. Taylor Swift “Dear John”

“Dear John” by Taylor Swift is about her ex, John Mayer.

12. Ashlee Simpson “Boyfriend”

“Boyfriend” by Ashlee Simpson was aimed at Lindsay Lohan for accusing Simpson of stealing her then-boyfriend, Wilmer Valderrama.

13. Justin Timberlake “Cry Me a River”

“Cry Me a River” by Justin Timberlake is about his breakup with Britney Spears.

14. Carly Simon “You’re So Vain”

A verse in Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” is about Warren Beatty.

15. Mac Miller “Cinderella”

“Cinderella” by Mac Miller, a song that has lyrics about very intimate bedroom moments, is about Ariana Grande.

How many of those did you know about?

Do you have any more? Share them in the comments!

The post You Might Not Know That These 15 Songs Were Written About Celebrities appeared first on UberFacts.

10 Interesting Facts for You to Think About

Let’s get down to business with another fact set. We consistently bring you the facts that you make you think about our world and ponder our past, present, and future.

Are you ready to put on your thinking cap?

Let’s go!

1. Get down to business!

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2. You have two minutes!

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3. Consider me the hardest worker of all time.

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4. How many do you have?

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5. I want to ride my bicycle.

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6. I’m with Mr. Jefferson on this one

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7. What a story!

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8. No proof…yet.

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9. I’m in luck!

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10. Brilliant until the end.

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Some quality facts, right there!

Be sure to explore our other fact sets as well.

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