Listening to Music While Studying

Posted by Nate Marks on December 22nd, 2017

Ever since the act of studying came into existence, researchers have long debated whether or not listening to classical music improves cognition and information retention of the mind. To put it simply, people have been wondering, for decades, if listening to classical music while studying will make you smarter. Today, not many people throw on a pair of headphones and sit down with their studies with the intent to listen to Mozart or Beethoven. Nowadays people are listening to pop, radio music, or rock while studying. Personally, I can't get enough of this new "vaporwave" trend on the internet, especially while studying for a big exam. All that being said, does listening to music, today, while studying prove beneficial in any way?

Researchers have already coined the term "Mozart Effect," to refer to the concept of listening to music to improve memory and focus. In the past, studies have revealed that listening to music before performing any particular task can very well improve a person's attention span, memory, mathematical problem-solving abilities, and can even lessen feelings of depression or anxiety. The facts are there, however, this is all in regard to classical music. Today, however, music is a bit more complex and not tied to only instrumental music.

The background music of today, if listened to while studying, can negatively affect cognitive abilities. Your brain can easily get confused by words, notes, and melodies in various songs playing in the background while you study. Lyrical music has a particularly negative effect on those studying English or language subjects, however, it will probably have a lesser effect while studying something like math. Conversely, if you aren't using the word and language parts of your brain, lyrical music is likely not to have much of an effect at all. Listening to instrumental music has been proven to affect students less while writing or studying language-heavy subjects, as it leaves their brains free to focus only on the words in front of them instead of those going through their ears. While studying subjects such as math or science, lyrical music shouldn't pose as much of an issue, but subconsciously focusing on instrumental music can still confuse the brain while it is in the process of solving complex problems or equations. It appears best to pick and choose the music you listen to while studying, depending on what it is, exactly, that you are studying, to begin with.

In conclusion, whether or not listening to music while studying has a positive or negative effect really depends largely on the type of music being listened to, as well as the subject matter being studied. Regardless, and like every other aspect of life, it all comes down to personal preference and what works for you. If listening to music while studying earns you an "A," by all means, do what you need to do. Although certain music can collide with particular subjects, such as lyrical music and studying English, there are no significant or long-term effects associated with listening to music while studying, so the act is, ultimately, harmless.

If you’d like to learn music yourself, contact Ben Kromholtz at Kenmore Piano Studio.