I have played the trumpet for ten years, the piano for three, and I listen to my music constantly. I had heard about the Mozart Effect and thought it might be something to look into. If music does make people smarter, I wondered what effect being involved in music for so long has had on me. I do not think learning more about how music makes a person more intelligent will affect my values that greatly; regardless of what I find out, I'm involved with music because I like it not because I think it will make me smarter. I guess it could influence what I do in the future though, like study habits I have or something. If I find conclusive information that listening to music or playing an instrument really does help with tests or visuospatial ability, etc. etc., I could use that information in the future to help me do better in the future with school work, and make sure I stay in band for the next couple years. Also, if I find conclusive evidence, one day, if I'm a parent I would want to make sure my kids were involved in music from an early age. And, I think that if this were to be widely known, many people would do the same thing. 

The first source I found is Music, Motor Control and the Brain by Eckart Altenmuller, Mario Wiesendanger, and Jurg Kesselring. The entire book is about the relation between musicians, music and its effects on the brain. It briefly describes the psychology behind music, and music cognition in the brain. It also explains, in detail the ways in which the motor skills needed to play an instrument (like being able to hit the keys of a piano, or press the buttons on a flute or trumpet, or strum the stings of a guitar, etc.) are seen in the brain, and how each area of the brain impacted is used. It also explains the importance of the parts of the brain that are impacted by music and music playing (like what the fact that playing a piano has an effect on the parietal lobe means). I think for the 'values at stake' it could just be the idea that maybe music does not have an impact on the brain and that it really can't make you smarter, but I think that the authors do a good job of explaining how exactly music affects the brain. I think this is a credible source as, for one thing, it's a printed book, not an article found online, and the book was in the School of Music Library. The authors are fairly credible as well. Eckart Altenmuller has been a professor of neurology, neurophysiology, and music-physiology at various colleges in Germany, where he is from. He is also a medical doctor and holds a masters in the classical flute, and an MD and PhD in neurophysiology and neurology. Mario Wiesendanger worked at L'INSTITUT DE PHYSIOLOGIE and in the department of Neurology at the University of Bern. Jurg Kesselring got a doctorate in medicine at the University of Bern. He also received training as a medical specialist in neurology from numerous hospitals. He also taught clinical neurology and neurorehabilitation at the University of Bern, and worked as head physician of neurology and rehabilitation at the Rehabilitation Center in Valens. 

The second source I found was Musicohphilia: Tales of Music and the Brain by Oliver Sacks. It went into the problems music can theoretically cause in the brain. It also described unusual sicknesses involving music, like people getting struck by lightning and having the sudden desire to play the piano, or people whose seizures were characterized by hearing symphonies before one occurred. It went into detail about what parts of the brain are affected by music. For the values at stake, it tries explain the reason behind some of the weirdness surrounding music, like why you get a song stuck in your head or how a person can think they're hearing song when nothing is actually playing. So some of these theories may or may not be correct. However, I do think it's a credible source. Again, it's a printed book, found in the School of Music Library. It's written by Oliver Sacks, a current professor of neurology at New York University School of Medicine. He is also an M.D. and well known author. 

The last Source I found was Your Playlist Can Change Your Life by Galina Mindlin, Don Durrousseau and Joseph Cardillo. They argue that music increases intelligence because listening to music increases the brains 'flow'. However, they argue that the music doesn't have to be Mozart's Piano Sonata for Two Pianos, but that the music depends on the person listening to it. For one person, rock music might be the way to go before a test, where as for another person classical music might suit them better. They also describe music's effect on memory and on a person's brain waves. I think that the major values and interests could be that any type of music can create the flow effect thereby augmenting intelligence. This is the first source I've come across that suggests that any type of music can increase intelligence.  I think this is a failry credible source, as it's been written recently, and it's a printed book. Galina Mindlin is a well known psychiatrist who studied at Jefferson and Columbia University. She currently works at St. Lukes Roosevelt Hospital. Don Durousseau is the Director of Research Technology Services at George Washington University. He has had 25 years of IT experience. He attended the University of California, Berkeley,  and has an A.B. in neurobiology and neurosciences. Joseph Cardillo is a very well known and well respected author, and holds a PhD in holistic psychology and mind-body-medicine. He's also an inspirational speaker and an expert on energy teaching. 

My question is arguable because there is a lot of information out there as to whether music can actually increase intelligence. I plan to argue not only that music makes you smarter but to explain how it does so. All three of my sources agree that the Mozart Effect is surrounded in controversy. However, they all suggest different ways in which music can make a person smarter, and the authors of Music, Motor Control and the Brain state that they really don't know if it can or not and that more research into this question is needed. The Your Playlist Can Change Your Life book challenged some loosely held ideas I'd had about what kind of music to listen to when trying to utilize the Mozart Effect. I'd been under the impression it really had to be classical music, if not specifically Mozart's Piano Sonata for Two Pianos. I'm not really sure I need to revise my research question due to this though. I am considering if I need to make it more specific and focus on just playing an instrument or just listening to music will increase intelligence, because with playing an instrument, a musician needs certain skills in comparison with non musicians. 
