Scientists have uncovered the first concrete evidence that playing music can significantly enhance the brain and sharpen hearing for all kinds of sounds, including speech.

"Experience with music appears to help with many other things in life, potentially transferring to activities like 

reading or picking up nuances in tones of voices or hearing sounds in a noisy classroom better," researcher 

Nina Kraus, a neuroscientist at Northwestern University, told LiveScience.

These new findings highlight the importance of music classes, she said.

"Music classes are often among the first to be cut when school budgets get tight," Kraus said. "That's a mistake."