By: Alexander M.
Many people love music; they listen to it, play it, even make their own versions of songs that they like. As I write this I am listening to music as a relaxer and for inspiration. Some would say music is its own written language for people to understand by hearing it. It can help release stress, pain, even calm fears. On the flip side it can show the emotions that one is currently feeling. How can what we listen to effect how we learn?
When I was in second and fourth grade the teachers of those classes were the kind that always played music. This was when those small walkman radios could still be found in soft colors that had that CD player on top. There were many times when we were all quiet and you could actually hear the songs being played. Among them my most favorite was ‘Wonderful World’ by Louie Armstrong. I found it always helped me to work better. It also made me wonder what other kinds of music could help a person learn better.
When I thought of this again I decided that it was dependant on the person's preferences because I also noticed that people liked listening to different things as they worked. Two of the genres that work for me are Techno and classical rock, ex: Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Mannheim Steamroller. It also greatly depends on the person’s mood; an example being when I was feeling heartbroken over losing something dear to me I listened to songs that illustrated my mood.
Music is like an inspiration – it can make us want to do more. The music of Bach and Mozart is said to make children smarter, but I feel that it inspires them to learn so that they can do better. I am one of many that find music an inspiration and play it as I work. For me it helps me not to be bored doing just one thing; studying, just watching TV, or walking around with friends. An interesting quote that I see a lot from Yahoo states that, “Those who can’t hear the music think the dancer mad.” All music is special, whether it is showing our own mood, or inspiring others with it.
In an article on Articlebase.com, a writer points out that music is used to help set a mood for a scene in the movies. However, it may also change the mood we, in reality, are currently in. (Mike Seddon, ‘Can listening to music help us work better?’ Oct. 2006) Star Wars and Harry Potter are good examples of this. Both of the scores for these movies were written by musical genius John Williams.
Also, at football games, the bands play music to help invigorate and enliven a stadium so that players and fans do better. In the end music achieves many things; it affects our study habits, our moods, and helps us succeed.
For musical personality tests check this sight out, (I found it pretty accurate but it’s completely voluntary.):
http://www.outofservice.com/music-personality-test/
For more information on how music can help you check this out:
http://www.outofservice.com/music-personality-test/
Happy Learning,
Alexander M.
Hey everybody, I was having issues with inserting the links so for now, to see the material Alexander's given, you'll have to do the good ol' copy and paste job. I'll keep working on the links though!
ReplyDeleteFixed - huzzah. Thanks to Alexander for a wonderful article!
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful article! What a tribute to music's power if you remember those teachers from so long ago who played it in their classes...maybe you will inspire me to play it in my own live classes!
ReplyDeleteThis article is fascinating! I agree that we can express ourselves through what we listen to. I've actually noted that the songs I sing to myself or that run through my head during the day reflect how I feel or have lyrics that directly correlate to something going on in my life. I also agree that music can help with work, but it isn't always beneficial for me. If I'm reading or studying I usually have to shut off the music so I can focus, but it's great when I'm doing my other work (like programming) because it gives my brain something to latch on to when it wanders. The quiz is really cool! None of the categories completely fit me, so I scored high on a number of them. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteGreat article! Thank you for posting and the great links! We look at how different people relieve stress in Success 101. Music is a top pick!
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