In Dusseldorf, a study of 60 people found that physical changes to the structure and shape of the brain - caused by active music making - primarily occurred in people who began musical training before the age of seven.

It seems that at the age of six, children enter a critical year during which the brain chooses the circuits and pathways it considers most important to maintain and develop for the future. While every child is born with potential for brain benefits that come from music making, if these are not exercised and strengthened before six, the potential is lost.

Music making can dramatically improve physiological and mental coordination, which makes it extremely effective catalyst for learning and development.
Music making affects the way the brain develops - adult musicians brains show clear differences from those of nonmusicians, particularly in areas relating to listening, language, and the connection between the two sides of the brain.

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Music Makes Your Child Smarter, Philip Sheppard

Learning from Young Children: Research in Early Childhood Music, Suzanne Burton, and Cynthia Crump Taggart