It is common knowledge in most societies that the brain of an artist is wired differently. Artists by nature are expressive, observant, unapologetic beings. In jazz, even the origin of the word tosses between baseball terminology and sexual connotations. No one really knows for sure where the word came from, but it is almost certain that it lies with the people and their self-expression in communicating with others. Everyone knows the brain of an artist must have extraordinary abilities in areas the average person does not. So, is it possible to test? Could we actually see what happens to the brain of a jazz musician when they play? The answer is yes.

According to Johns Hopkins University, the brain of a jazz musician turns off the dorsolateral prefrontal and lateral orbital regions of the brain, which are for hesitation and thinking ahead, but they turn on the medial prefrontal cortex used for creativity. Basically, this means that jazz musicians learn how to switch between their creative and logical selves in the same way we know bilingual people switch between languages. It is incredibly intriguing how bilingual people and musicians alike can exercise their brains by keeping these worlds separate.

The same study shows how even listening to jazz can be a mental workout. The brain tends to comprehend music by mimicking and predicting a song’s scheme. Music stimulates the brain by having it predict and be satisfied or surprised by what actually plays. Jazz differs from most genres because the brain comprehends it in a different way. Mostly, the brain tries to keep up with and mimic its sound; which is why it can be compared to a workout.

Considering how the history of jazz is unpredictable as well as how jazz artists use their brains and how others interpret what they play, it is plausible to say jazz itself is the essence of human creativity. Human creativity is important in all the progress of the world and everything people do. It is how we as people place value on things and make lives easier. If jazz is the chemical product of musicians turning on their creative brains, can it turn off their societally conditioned brains? Researchers at Wesleyan University seem to think they can.

In the same way people train their brains to be more productive, smarter, happier, and faster, they can also train their brains to be more creative with jazz. When people exercise their brains and create a pattern by playing and listening to jazz, it is easier for them to implement similar patterns in their work and hobbies. Researchers at Wesleyan University seem to agree that creativity is how we respond to the unexpected. If this is true, then what people do with their time is a large part of how they react to the world around them. Different trends and so on do have an impact. Generations are made by a culture of similar thought. The music people listen to is a huge part of that. If the next generation takes jazz and runs, maybe we would have a more creative group of people to take on the future with. Even so, jazz will always lie with the people and their creative expression.