Does Music Make You Smarter?

Does music make you smarter? Well, of course studying music makes you better at music, but what about other things? 

According to studies, one of the best ways to stay focused while studying is through listening to music. If you study well, you get better grades. And that will eventually result in better report cards, that will result in better job opportunities and so on. Music helps with anxiety and the process of emotions in a healthy way. Listening to music while you’re not studying is said to sometimes have positive effects on your ability to concentrate as well.  

Music also helps motivate students, one of the hardest parts of schoolwork is actually starting and sticking with it. Listening to music you enjoy can help you power through with your schoolwork and actually turn your attention to it, but it depends on what type of music you enjoy.

Classical, minimalist, piano, and low-fi music are some of the most helpful music types when it comes to studying. However, there are some other good options too, such as Modern Electronic and Nature Sounds.

Interestingly enough, the number of beats in a song per minute affects how good the song is for your studying. Songs timed at 60 beats per minute tend to put peoples’ minds at ease and make creative thoughts come easier. It can also help with a long list of skills such as art projects, math, testing in all subjects, silent reading, creative writing, and poetry writing. It is also helpful in a long list of specific classrooms including science labs, libraries, cafeterias, and Gifted Support classrooms.

Even though music has mainly good results when it comes to students, it isn’t all good. According to research, listening to loud or depressing music can sometimes have negative effects. It interferes with reading comprehension and unlike classical music, it makes things harder to focus on. Sometimes, any kind of music can direct your focus away from your work, so you’ve got to balance your music evenly. Just like all things in your life. This has to be done in moderation.

So, there are pros and cons of listening to music while studying. However, if you balance the types of music you listen to in moderation, your grades will start to go up