In all the world's cultures, people sing, play instruments, and celebrate with music. It plays such an important role in our lives that all fields focus on its study, including one looking at the biology of music. Experts find that because of the way our brains process music, learning to play an instrument or just listening to music can have a wide range of benefits.   

Music education has received a lot of attention. Learning to play an instrument can help children improve math, science, and language skills. One study in Canada tracked children's IQ scores for nine months, discovering that children who studied music had the biggest test score improvements. The secret may lie in the way reading music and playing notes use several areas of the brain, increasing our ability to learn school subjects. For example, reading notes improves spatial (空间的) reasoning skills, which are helpful in solving math problems like fractions (分数).   

Music is also used for medical purposes, such as the treatment of diseases which affect memories. The secret lies in the way the brain processes music. One area near the forehead, the medial prefrontal cortex(脑前额叶外皮), connects music with memories stored in two other areas: the amygdale(杏仁核) and hippocampus(海马体). That's why an old song can remind you of something that happened years ago. For patients suffering from diseases like Alzheimer's, listening to music can help unlock buried memories by strengthening musical pathways to memories.   

With the evidence of music's benefits, it's no wonder some countries make music study a part of their education systems. People are recognizing that more than just a form of entertainment, music is also great for the brain.

Twenty-five young musicians from around the world have come to California to train and perform this month. They will take part in an international program called iPalpiti. The name comes from the Italian word for heartbeats.

Eduard Schmieder is the program's conductor and musical director, Schmieder and his wife started the program in 1997 with help from violinist and conductor Yehudi Menuhin.

This year, the musicians come from 19 countries, including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Israel and Italy.   Schmieder notes some of the musicians are from countries that are at war with each other.

And they are sitting next to each other, and they become friends, He says through their music and friendship, they are making the world more peaceful.

The musicians taking part in the program range in age from their late teens to their 30s.

Schmieder said they include winners of major music competitions. Peter Rainer is a violin player from Germany. He serves as concertmaster, the link between the musicians and conductor. "lt’s so great that you have so many sensitive musicians. They all are very alert and awake and listen to each other and it's a lot of fun. " Turkish viola player Can Sakul says the international group works we’ll together. "The experience is a cultural as well as a musical exchange," said Russian violinist Semyon Promoe. " Everyone has their own opinion of music, how to play every composition. It's very interesting to interact with everybody, to play together and to create one opinion for everybody. "

This year, the festival focuses on music from the 1600s to the 1900s. But cello player Franciaco Vila of Ecuador said the music has no geographic boundaries Vila added that the musicians get to know more about each other as they perform great music.

"It's interesting to see where we intersect(交集) , how many things we have in common. And also the music world is quite small, so you're only one person away from knowing everyone else" Can Sakul said the musicians who have taken part in the training and festival make up a big family. He added that he is proud to be a part of it.

Dance is one of the most wonderful forms of human communication. In many cultures, dance has both historic and cultural significance, which is communicated through learned gestures and expressions. Here are a bit more details about three of the world’s most beautiful dances.

Kathakali

Kathakali is a storytelling dance, during which performers use a variety of gestures, and eyes and facial expressions to communicate meanings. Costumes, hair styles, makeup and face paint, and jewelry also all hold specific meanings in the performance of kathakali. There are nine facial expressions used to express emotions ranging from sadness and anger to curiosity. Through their expressions, it should be completely clear to the viewer what the performer is intending to convey.

Tango

The dance has its roots in an African slave dance called candombe, which is also a type of music. One key factor of a candombe performance is a partnered dance, which has over time developed into the modern tango. If you can keep your eyes on one part of the tango, just focus on the dancers’ legs and feet. The tango is typically performed low to the ground, with both performers’ step-work often taking place at the same time. It’s complex and communicative.

Flamenco

One of the most interesting facts about the flamenco is that it began as a song. Over time, flamenco developed to include its now-famous passionate accompanying dance. One of the key factors of flamenco is palmas. It may look like simple, rhythmic clapping, but palmas are performed at different speeds, and strengths, and it is essential that the flamenco dancer understands how to make use of his or her hands as part of the performance.