When you walk into the library, you might see a few students with earbuds in who are actively working on class assignments. A couple of students may be playing their favorite songs, and some might be playing some ambient noise to get more focused and involved in what they are working on. For many at WHS, listening to music while doing school work is an overall positive experience.
Sometimes students feel that listening to a certain type of music helps them complete school work.
“I like having something to vibe to when I’m studying. Calm music is helpful like SZA. It helps me work and focus,” freshman Kamille Moss said.
Some students have found that when teachers play music in classes, they start to enjoy the music because it becomes a normal part of their routine.
“I don’t mind it [when teachers play music in class] if I’m really used to it. For example, in Spanish class they are always playing Spanish music, and I’m kind of used to it,” Hailey Andrasco said.
Research has also proven that listening to music while studying can have positive effects. An article posted on National University’s website (nu.edu) notes that “Music activates both the left and right brain at the same time, and the activation of both hemispheres can maximize learning and improve memory,” according to Dr. Masha Godkin, a professor in the Department of Marriage and Family Sciences at National University. The article also notes that not all music is equally as effective, and students should choose music that is not distracting to them personally, a point supported by music professionals at WHS.
“Music is such a personal preference that what they choose probably depends on the person and what they are trying to do [when studying],” Claire Nalven, band and music theory teacher said.
Other students prefer to work in a quiet environment when studying outside of class.
“I personally don’t listen to music when I study, and I find it to be distracting. I’m kind of sensitive to sound, and I’m not able to keep it as the background noise, so I find it difficult to focus on something else,” Andrasco said.
According to an article on the University of Maryland Global Campus website (umgc.edu), “Music-based activities in early childhood education have proven to support self-regulation, cognitive and intellectual development, literacy, and language. No matter their age, students can continue to benefit from music to help their academic performance. Every student is different in how they learn and study, so their music preferences can also vary.”
Beyond personal musical preferences, students also find that the feelings evoked by music have to be taken into account when choosing what to play while doing school work.
“Sometimes when I’m listening to music that’s more hype, I get distracted because the song is so good,” Moss said.
Moss may be experiencing an issue that research has documented: the music students listen to might have to be at a certain tempo or beats per minute (BPM) for optimal outcomes.
“If I was trying to go for a run and focus, I would listen to something with a faster beat because it sort of gets you to breathe the right way, but if I am trying to go to sleep, I wouldn’t listen to music with a fast tempo,” Nalven said. “Music that helps people focus is usually at a certain speed, like 100-120 BPM.”
Overall, students who find just the right type, tempo, and feel of music to accompany studying find the effect to be beneficial.
“I think it’s helpful because most of the time I am able to tune out most of the noise, so I just kind of focus better,” freshman Jenna Cutter said.