The Brain Is a Muscle
The brain is made up of billions of neurons that are connected to each other by trillions of connections. When we talk about changing your brain, we’re not actually changing the number of neurons in the brain. Instead, we’re changing the connections in the brain.
In many ways, the brain is like a muscle. Just like how training a muscle strengthens it, you can train the brain to form more and more connections across the neurons.
Neuroplasticity
A few decades ago, scientists believed that the brain did not change after childhood. Now, we know this is not true. Our brain is constantly changing throughout our lives through a process called neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity involves strengthening new connections between neurons and weakening old connections.
This is what is happening when we are learning something new, like how to play an instrument for the first time. New connections are being formed and strengthened.
Think about a time when you were small.. There were a lot of skills that you didn’t know back then. How to walk, how to count to 10, how to hold a pencil, how to read, etc.
You can’t learn how to ride a bike with just a single attempt. It takes learning and practice. This can be true for both simple and complicated skills. The more you learn, the more connections your brain grows.