Every time I do homework I listen to music in order to help me focus. In fact, I’m listening to music right now as I complete this blog post. Friedrich Nietzsche said, “Without music, life would be a mistake”. I agree with this statement, and I was excited to be able to look into the scientific aspect of what happens when music is listened to while doing schoolwork.
Different areas of the brain are affected by music. Music is processed in many different areas of the brain when we listen to music. In this diagram from http://www.fastcompany.com/3022942/work-smart/the-surprising-science-behind-what-music-does-to-our-brains, the different areas of the brain as music affects it are stimulated differently. Our brains respond differently depending on whether or not a piece of music is happy or sad. There are two different emotions that the brain interprets during music, perceived and felt emotions. According to this website,
“This means that sometimes we can understand the emotions of a piece of music without actually feeling them, which explains why some of us find listening to sad music enjoyable, rather than depressing.
Unlike in real life situations, we don’t feel any real threat or danger when listening to music, so we can perceive the related emotions without truly feeling them—almost like vicarious emotions”.
Different types of music stimulate the brain in different ways. For example, music that contains lyrics can work to stimulate the language/ processing centers within the brain. According to the University of Phoenix, listening to music with lyrics can be distracting while doing homework because trying to process musical lyrics while also trying to process the words in which you’re studying can interfere with the effectiveness of your studying. Some have said that instrumental music is better for concentrating and for doing homework to! There is something called the “mozart effect”. This is when listening to music actually improves intelligence. However, this theory has since been proved to be incorrect. According to Robin Harwood, Instrumental and classical music won’t make you smarter, but this music can have a relaxing, soothing effect and is less distracting than music with lyrics”.
The next time I listen to music, I will try listening with instrumental music or music with softer lyrics. I think it will really help me to focus on what I am reading, writing, or studying while also offering some sort of entertainment!
https://mindbodyspiritualawareness.com/tag/music-aids-studying/
I can definitely relate! I too listen to music while doing homework. I listen to it even when doing math problems! It’s ridiculous. I feel like certain songs that have words aren’t as distracting. I for one enjoy indie and alternative music. It is at a peaceful tone. So it is easy for me to concentrate. If I were to put on Pop or R&B now then I’d be in trouble! lol. But I’ve done the classical music while studying. I personally feel like its effective. I will definitely try the Mozart music next time I’m studying.
I am always noticing people listening to music around me when they are working on something. I never really understood it because I’m not one to listen to music while doing work because I actually find it distracting.However, after reading this article I might give it a try more often! Especially listening to the instrumental versions.
This is a very interesting post! I love listening to music when I’m studying, and I usually listen to instrumental versions of songs instead of songs with lyrics. I think it helps make studying a little more bearable. I wish the “mozart effect” was actually true, because everyone would be very smart! As I’m sitting in the HUB writing this right now, I’ve noticed that a majority of the people doing work are listening to music. I think it also helps people focus because it drowns out other sounds that could be distracting. In this article, the author compares listening to music to using Facebook or Twitter. He says that it isn’t nearly as distracting, which is a good thing.