Can an activity as simple as listening to music affect your focus?

Do you want the most straightforward answer to that question?

Yes!

That’s your answer.

People listen to music in various occasions. Can you imagine a wedding party without it? Can you imagine a restaurant without music in the background? Music is a universal addition to all kinds of activities. When you listen to the right type of music for studying or working, you’ll boost your brain’s capacity to focus on a given task.

The so-called Mozart effect is a real thing. Researchers found that listening to Mozart’s music makes you more intelligent. The long-term effects of classical music on the brain are impressive.

How Music Affects Your Focus

Let’s discuss the Mozart effect. It seems controversial to think that music could make you more intelligent, doesn’t it? Through functional magnetic resonance scanning and positron emission tomography, researchers showed that the brain activates many areas of the cortex to process melody, pitch, rhythm, metre, and timbre. Music mostly activates the brain areas in charge of spatial reasoning.

The researchers compared the effects of Mozart’s music to those of relaxation music, and they also observed performing with no music at all. The study participants who listened to Mozart’s sonata showed better spatial reasoning performance than the others.

This means that music temporarily improves your cognitive abilities.

No; listening to Mozart’s sonata alone is not enough for you to complete a research paper in a day. For such extreme situations, it’s better to hire online essay writing services and stay safe. But when you have enough time and you’re in a good place for studying or writing papers, music can only make you more focused.

But You Need the Right Type of Music

The type of music you choose plays a huge role in its effect on your mood and thoughts.

Dubstep and electro house, for example, are uplifting. These genres work as club music, since they get people in the mood for drinking, dancing, and having fun. This type of music triggers movement, so it’s not the perfect choice when you want to stay put and study. You’ll soon start moving your legs and singing along, so your focus won’t be on the coursework material.

Bob Dylan – that’s something different. He blends music and poetry in perfect synergy. When you listen to the lyrics of Hurricane, you understand the story. If you know nothing about the song’s background, you’ll start researching and you’ll dig deep into the issues of racism and social injustice. Yes; you’ll learn a lot from music that tells stories through the lyrics. We may say that this type of music boosts your brainpower. But it’s still not the right kind of music to play when you want to study or work. It consumes your focus with its lyrics.

Classical music for studying – that’s something that works! It’s instrumental, so no words will take your attention away from the textbook. It’s also smooth, without enhanced rhythm to get your legs moving. It’s no wonder the researchers chose Mozart’s sonata and coined out the term Mozart effect. This is the kind of music that puts you in the right mood for studying.

Playlist to Put You in Focus Mode

You don’t want to bother creating your own playlist of music for concentration? Maybe you’re new to classical music and you never bothered exploring it.

No problem.

We’ll give you a few suggestions to get you started.

1. Mozart – Sonata for Two Pianos in D, K. 448
2. Mozart – Lacrimosa
3. Vivaldi – Four Seasons
4. Chopin – Nocturne
5. Pachelbel – Canon and Gigue in D Major, P 37
6. Beethoven – Sonata No.9 in E major, Op.14
7. Bach – Air on the G String
8. Brahms – Hungarian Dances
9. Gustav Mahler – Symphony No.5
10. Tchaikovsky – Piano Concerto No.1

There. These ten compositions are enough to get you started. Play them in the background and you’ll start studying with full focus!

Play the Right Music at the Right Time!

If you play Pachelbel’s music in the club, everyone will hate you for it. But if you play clubbing music during a study session, you’ll hate yourself for it.

Music has the power to affect our thoughts and feelings. When you want to stay focused, classical music can support the process.

If you never liked listening to Mozart, Beethoven, and other composers, you should still give them a chance. No; you won’t look ridiculous. This is the most powerful music ever written. When you realize it can get you in the focus mode, why not give it a chance?

 

About the Author

Alvin Franklin is a writer, blogger, and online learner. He loves finding new productivity methods that help him learn and do more in less time. Alvin shares valuable tips on how to boost brainpower, based on research and personal experience.

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