As I start my Algebra 2 homework, I always quickly look through my Apple Music to find the album I’m looking for, Collide with the Sky by Pierce the Veil. I would not say I am a particularly large fan of Pierce the Veil or pop-punk music in general. My typical music of choice is the Smashing Pumpkins, Noah Kahan, and The 1975. But that music does not allow me to “lock in” and often distracts me from my work. In contrast, the music of Pierce the Veil makes me feel full of energy and ready to take on homework and studying.
Srini Pillay, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, wrote in an article for CNBC that having music on in the background while completing other tasks can be beneficial. Dr. Pillay explains that researchers have not found that a certain genre of music is more beneficial than others; it depends on the individual and their personal tastes. According to Dr. Pillay, “one mechanism [of music] involves decreasing stress and cortisol, which allows the brain’s center to operate without interruption.”
Learning Specialist Jillian DeBusk said that,“When I really need to dial in and be focused, I really like listening to music.” But she then added, “However, I have to be careful about what kind of music I’m listening to. So when I really need to concentrate, I need to listen to music that is classical music or atmospheric music that doesn’t have lyrics because I find and I think this is pretty common with other people as well. It’s just natural when you hear words, your brain starts to process those words.”
Ms. DeBusk mentioned that although music can be helpful for the students in her Learning Lab class, “the thing that can get tricky is that I do have some students sometimes that get caught up in picking the music, and sometimes that can be a challenge because then they’re spending more time deciding what to listen to than actually doing their work.”
Her advice is that, “It really depends on what kind of music you’re listening to, the type of work you’re doing, and what really works best for you. But I would say, as the learning specialist, if this is something you have not tried before, I would encourage you to try it and see if it helps. And if it doesn’t, then great. You tried it.”
Studying is not a one-size-fits-all kind of thing. You have to work to find what makes studying easier, and in that process, you will find strategies that help and ones that really don’t.
Pippa Whiteley ’27 listens to math rock because “it just keeps my mind focused on one path because… there’s no lyrics. … It’s just music”. She continued, “When I listen to music, I feel really focused on the task in front of me, and there’s not as much cause for distraction, as when I’m not listening to music or when I’m listening to music with lyrics. … So it kind of helps me stay focused and stay on that study grind, if you will.”
While music can help with studying, it is not an exact science and instead is very much based on the individual person, their likes, dislikes, and needs. Some people need music without lyrics, others need classical music, and some (like myself) choose to listen to music that makes them feel energized. As Ms. DeBusk said, it is important to try it out because it could be super helpful for you, and if it’s not you can just turn off the music.
Indresh Chandel 