I think that many people would agree that our generation is the generation of need for constant stimulation. Since we’ve grown up in a society where we have constant access to stimulation, be it through televisions, our computers, our phones, and social media apps, our brains have literally evolved and changed as a result (Alvarez-Jimenez et al.). As such, it’s no surprise that many of us enjoy listening to music as we complete our homework. There’s something about it that’s so cathartic and comforting. I’ve found that when I do my homework, I’m able to focus better when I have music playing in my ears.
However, it’s a bit more difficult to find the right kind of music to write to. Your brain still has to be able to produce words for you to write as you listen to music, and having to multitask with both thinking of words to write and listening to the words in your music can prove to be distracting (Mahoney). There are perks to writing to music, though. Listening to music while writing an essay has been shown to increase your creative process, and this, in turn, can make it easier to come up with ideas for your paper (Edmunds). For many people, the hardest part of the writing process is developing ideas, and music without lyrics can be really helpful in making that possible. Now, I know it’s much more fun to listen to music with lyrics in it while you work. Personally, there’s only so much classical music I can take before I lose my mind. One of the things that I found works really well for me is being able to listen to karaoke versions of some of my favorite songs. I still get to listen to music that I enjoy without being distracted by the words that typically go with the songs. Some other suggestions of music to listen to that don’t have lyrics in them that can help focus your brain include listening to jazz music, electronic music, and music in a language that isn’t a language you speak (Edmunds). Try listening to a variety of different styles of music and playlists, and chances are that you’ll find something that works well for you! There is data that supports the concept that listening to music while you write can benefit your overall writing process, so long as you aren’t listening to music with lyrics in it. So, if you’re like me, you can rest assured that music is good for your creativity, and you can explore a variety of different sounds and styles to find what serves you best. Works Cited: Alvarez-Jimenez, Mario et al. The “online brain”: how the internet may be changing our cognition. World Psychiatry. June 2019. DOI: 10.1002/wps.20617 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6502424/ Edmunds, Leon. The Best Music for Students While Writing an Essay. Playground Professionals. 9 Mar. 2020. https://playgroundprofessionals.com/playground/musical/best-music-students-while-writing-essay Mahoney, Trevor. How Listening to Music can Improve your Writing. Medium. 19 Nov. 2019. https://medium.com/med-daily/how-listening-to-music-can-improve-your-writing-4242b062bb0c
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January 2024
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