Are musicians at an advantage when processing speech on speech?

Several studies have shown that musicians may have an advantage in a variety of auditory tasks, including speech in noise perception. The current study explores whether musical training enhances understanding two-talker masked speech. By combining an off-line and an on-line measure of speech perception, we investigated how automatic processes can contribute to the potential perceptual
advantage of musicians. Understanding the underlying mechanisms for how musical training may lead to a benefit in speech-in-noise perception could help clinicians in developing ways to use music as a means to improve speech processing of hearing impaired individuals.