Does music soothe your nerves while studying or distracts you?

Music, Shakespeare had rightly said, is the food for love! What a literary master had proved through his writings centuries ago has been corroborated by modern scientific research. Music is indeed a panacea for many ills, both physical and mental, and food for the soul.

Research shows that music has profound effects on the brain. From enhancing memory, to refining alertness as well as calming the mind – music can do wonders to improving our mental health. This is why music is considered a mood enhancer and an effective support while studying.

Classical music, soft instrumentals and melodious tunes promote those brain cells which sharpen memory and improve lateral thinking. For those who have a problem with recall and memorising are often advised to listen to soothing notes. Softer notes make the brain waves resonate in sync with it and relax the brain. Faster beats or staccato rhythms on the other hand propel the mind’s sharpness and alertness.

There are of course two schools of thought when it comes to playing music while studying. Certain students feel that music is a distraction during studies, while others sense greater alertness and heightened reasoning when certain other genres of music are played. Classical tunes for example, improve spatial thinking, cognition and creative abilities, and are sought after by students of humanities, arts and social sciences. Lilting tunes and instrumentals work wonders to soothe nerves, and is considered a good aide while solving complex mathematical equations.

Interestingly however, vocals are often considered a distraction even by those who do well with other forms of music while studying. Research here shows how working memory, which requires focus of attention, is often impaired with stimuli like music with strong vocals. This is however not the case with those with a strong working memory, who are able to shut off any distracting stimuli, such as vocal music, and remain focused in their work.

However students who have shorter attention spans, and are slow learners report music as a distraction while studying. Here music is a big impediment, and is treated equivalent to ‘noise’ which disturbs the mind. For students with slower grasping abilities, music should be applied as a separate therapy, or form of meditation, rather than a studying aide.

A mentally taxing task like studying is dependent on one’s mental paradigm. Since studies involve processing of information, comprehension and its retrieval – choice of music and its application should be done judiciously. While those who consider it a distraction, should use music as a therapy and not a study aide.