1 . It is universally believed that playing an instrument or singing in a choir may boost your brain. Generations of parents have told their children to practice their musical instruments. Parents have good reason to keep on top of their children’s musical education, since learning an instrument is not only associated with better educational achievement but also cognition (认知) and even intelligence scores in children. But does this musicality contribute to better cognition later in life?

A new study in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry investigated this question by asking middle-aged and older people to complete a questionnaire on their lifetime musical experience before completing cognitive tests. The results showed that musical people had better memory and ability to stay focused on tasks and plans than those with less or no musicality.

But how about being musical without playing an instrument? According to the study findings, singing can result in better executive (决策的) function but not memory, suggesting that playing an instrument has additional brain health benefits. Why singing would help us with our executive function is not clear and requires further investigation. However, singing has a strong social benefit when done in choirs, and there is good evidence that being involved in social activity is good for our brain health.

Playing an instrument or singing seems to have benefits to our brain health in ageing, according to the study. What is yet to be established is whether this would also help prevent future cognitive decline (下降) or dementia. The study provides no evidence for this yet and it is also not clear how the findings apply to the general population, since most people in the study were female, well-educated and well-off.

2 . Uygur musician, Sanubar will give two concerts in Beijing and Shanghai on Jan. 13 and 14, featuring songs with dutar — a traditional folk instrument, which her father loved playing at home. “The instrument was hanging on the wall at my home and my father often played it for fun. My mother always sang along and we danced together,” recalls Sanubar, who was born into a Uygur family in Xinjiang. When her father died, Sanubar, who was 8 years old, composed her first song to honor him.

One of the songs she will perform is White Horse, adapted from an old Xinjiang folk song and telling a love story. “I get inspired by poems. Poems are as rhythmic as music. So when I read a beautiful poem, I easily connect it with its sounds, which allows me to turn the poem into a song,” says Sanubar. Some other songs are selected from the Xinjiang Uygur Muqam recorded on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008 by UNESCO, which includes songs, dances, folk and classical music.

Sanubar learned to play dutar at Xinjiang Arts University and, after graduation, she joined the Xinjiang Art Theater Muqam Art Troupe. From 2003 to 2005, she came to Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music to study music production. In 2010, at the age of 39, Sanubar enrolled in the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where she spent four years learning to compose and got her Bachelor’s degree.

So far, Sanubar has written over 100 songs and released about 10 albums. She teaches dutar at an art school in the regional capital Urumqi. Sanubar and other folk musicians sang and danced with smiling faces. “I notice that many young people in Xinjiang are learning traditional instruments and singing old songs, which makes me very happy.” says Sanubar.

5 . This was going to be a year of great jazz centennials (百年纪念) for 1920 marked the birth of several jazz musicians who either changed the course of the music or deeply enriched it. So let’s raise a glass to some of them:

Charlie Parker(August 29, 1920-March 12, 1955)

Of all the jazz languages that coursed through the 20th century, no one did more than Parker, for he developed complex improvisational methods that transformed the way musicians understand harmony and dissonance. The fact that Parker also happened to be a most influential saxophone player broadened the scope of his achievements.

Dave Brubeck (December 6, 1920-December 5, 2012)

Early in his long career, pianist-composer Brubeck was laughed at by some jazz lovers. How could a musician so popular among the masses possibly have anything to offer those who considered themselves “masters”? The joke was on them, of course, as Brubeck’s music was filled with new ideas in rhythm, embracing elements of Western classical music. No one played the piano quite the way Brubeck did.

Clark Terry(December 14, 1920-February 21, 2015)

Some musicians are at least as important for the influence they have on others as for the music they create themselves. Trumpet masters such as Miles Davis have credited Terry for having encouraged them in the earliest days of their careers. Terry’s work on trumpet affected those trumpeters and uncounted others.

Peggy Lee(May 26, 1920-January 21, 2002)

Singer-songwriter Lee proved that a vocalist needn’t shout to be heard around the world. Her soft vocals delighted jazz devotees and brought the music to huge audiences across the decades, thanks to hit recordings such as “Fever” and “Is That All There Is?” There were no vocal skills involved. Instead, Lee taught the jazz world the beauty of saying everything with a few well-chosen notes.

7 . It's difficult not to admire the talent of a skilled musician. Whether it is a pianist, a violinist or a drummer, these individuals have shown devotion and passion over a long period of time to reach the highest levels of performance. But they say it is never too late to learn a musical instrument.    1    

Learning to play an instrument when growing up can improve hearing in adulthood. According to a study by Professor Nina Kraus, children who played musical instruments were better at recognizing different frequencies. This enhanced hearing skill into later life.Moreover, it could also have some academic benefits too,     2    

For the adults who don't have the opportunity to learn one in childhood, whether you choose to play the piano. or learn a drumbeat, you could end up joining a band or orchestra. This can in turn enrich your social life.     3     Mastering the perfect chord is one way, but what if you got together with a bunch of friends and entered into a competition-and won?

    4     Obviously, picking up an instrument can help them kill time. But more importantly,it can effectively prevent them from dementia(老年痴呆)as several regions in the brain are active in the process of playing instruments.

    5     Why not begin by yourself? Chances are that you can establish a band with your children and parents.

8 . A TikToker (抖音用户) and his mystery neighbor have taken us all on a beautiful journey of music, love, longing, and loss.

One of the main _________ of this story is Lo Porto, an Italian living in the UK. On February 6, he _________ a video of his new neighbor playing piano on TikTok. The music is muffled (压低声音) behind their shared wall, but _________ enough to hear. Lo Porto started their fated friendship by writing a _________ to his neighbor, saying he loved the music.

Lo Porto left another note _________ that they play a duet (二重奏) together, each in their own _________. He started playing at 2 pm, and as soon as he stopped, the neighbor _________.

Their duets became a weekend “meet up”. Then it came time for them to meet face to face and “it was better than _________,” shared Lo Porto. The mystery pianist was a 78-year-old Polish man named Emil, who was living in _________ accommodation while he waits for his house to be sold.

“He lost his wife in December __________ COVID and all he has __________ is the piano, shared Lo Porto.

__________ Emil didn’t want to appear on any of the videos, he did share his gratitude with Lo Porto for keeping him motivated and less __________.

Although this is __________ in itself, the story has a heartbreaking ending: Lo Porto received word that Emil had __________ in his sleep. “Dear Emil,” he wrote. “You’ll be in my heart. I’ll keep playing, thinking of how powerful music can be. You said I was your light, but you’ve been mine too. Bye, Emil.”

9 . Fulushou to kick off nationwide tour in Nanjing

Chinese band Fulushou, will launch their first nationwide tour in Nanjing on Nov.12 and tour other seven Chinese cities until Dec. 27. The band of the post-1990 generation, made of triplets Du Bing'er (stage name Doudou), Du Xueer (Nienie) and Du Feier (Mimi), rose to fame by performing at the popular reality show. Their first song, Yuzhen, which was inspired by their late grandmother, sparked lots of discussion online. The band will release their first album by the end of this year.

2nd Yan'an Music and Art Festival opens in NW China’s Shaanxi

The second Central Conservatory of Music Yan'an Art Festiyale was launched in Yan’an Grand Theater, on Oct. 15. The opening performance was an original Chinese opera, You You Lu Ming, which tells the story of Chinese scientist Tu Youyou, winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize. Highlights of the art festival included a concert featuring traditional Chinese musical instrumentalists, and Chinese dance drama, based on a1958 Chinese movie, will close the art festival at the Yan’an Grand Theater on Nov.1st. Children from poverty-stricken areas of Shaanxi province also are invited to the events as part of the festival’s art education program.

Beijing Opera Week ends, but not online

Various events during the 2020 Chinese Opera Culture Week in Beijing's Fengtai district delighted audiences. While the seven-day 2020 Chinese Opera Culture Week ended on Thursday the digital opera exhibition will continue until Nov. 22, with 5G technology live streaming them to millions of netizens.