If you asked the students I have taught in the last few years, they would probably tell you that I don't like music. That is simply not true. I love music. It's a gift of God and a uniquely human skill. And, it is powerful.
Music has the power to alter your emotional state and change the way you think. There is a 95% chance I will cry when I hear the lyrics "Tears stream down your face when you lose something you cannot replace" from the song "Fix You" by Coldplay. I have sobbed during indoor cycle classes when Jay played "Bridge Over Troubled Water" or "One Moment in Time." I had my thinking influenced in a profound way by Matt sharing "Flower in the Gun" on his Facebook page. I can't help but dance along with "Boogie Shoes."
There aren't many things that can evoke a memory like a song from your childhood. I will never hear "Twist and Shout" without seeing Ferris Bueller on a parade float. The same goes for Michael J. Fox playing an electric guitar to "Johnny B Goode" in Back to the Future. And if you really want to take me to my childhood, put on "Hey, Mickey." I'll be back at Skate Town before Tony Basil gets to the lyrics. If you play "Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore," I may not be mentally present with you for a few minutes.
Music is powerful.
Like all things powerful, we have to be careful how we use it.
The reason my students would say I don't like it is that I had a blanket rule that they could not put on headphones and listen to music while they worked, and I strongly advised them against listening to it while they studied for tests.
Part of what makes music so powerful is that it takes up a lot of space in your brain. That's why you want to use it when you are working out. It distracts your from thinking, "This is really painful, and I would like to stop." It is great for keeping you motivated during mundane tasks, like dishes and yard work. Even much of your driving life is filled with music, but you can observe its power when you are driving somewhere unfamiliar and need to concentrate on finding your next turn. You turn the music down to free up space in your working memory.
We obviously don't want our students limiting their working memory or the transfer of information to long term memory while they are studying or writing an essay or trying to perform a complex math skill. The best place for music during study is break times. I advise my students to do their work in 20-25 minute chunks with 5 minute breaks. This takes advantage of focused and diffuse thinking and allows information time to offload from the hippocampus to the neocortex. That five minute break is also a great time to reward yourself, and person who likes music can reward themselves by listening to their favorite five minute song. It will boost their mood and re-energize them for the next 25 minutes session.
And, when they finish studying, have a dance party in the kitchen. Create a memory for that song to invoke later.
Bonus Thought: The power of music can be useful for studying in one way. Set the content to music, and you'll never forget it. (Think the alphabet song.)
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