>Is it possible that people who learn or do something focussedly over a long stretch of time (practice music 4 hours a day) show larger development over those same areas than the average distracted person?

It's more than possible -- it's well-documented with some kinds of meditative practice. [1]

The only interesting question this article raises for a knowledgeable person is whether or not the Sanskrit language _itself_ would have an effect on cognition, but it never succeeds to prove it would or offer a mechanism for how it would work, and instead asks for funds for more studies.

[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/meditationpapers/top/?sort=top&t=al...

https://www.reddit.com/r/MeditationNerds/top/?sort=top&t=all