Sarah Winter

Music 100-11
Mr. Richard Gaynor
11-02-15
Word Count: 1,175

How Helps Learning at Home and at School

Music is not just something that people listen to just to pass by time, it is also a
way to keep the mind engaged and focused during studying at home and within the
classroom. Most teacher in classroom do play music during classes and more teacher
allowing student to use their phones to listen to music while doing class work. Music
affects the why student learn and will give students a better chance at having higher
grades. This is by how music affecting the brain, helps students retain more information
when music is played, and how music effects the classroom environment.
Music will affect the brain and the body in such a way that will allow for the brain
to retain more information. From the article Music and learning: Integrating Music in
the Classroom from John Hopkins University website, written by Chris Brewer says
that music, changes brain waves, improves memory, and focuses concentration.
Music affects the brain the most when there is 50-80 beats per minute leads students
into deep concentration in the alpha brain waves (Music and Learning: Integrating
Music in the Classroom, Chris Brewer). The alpha brain waves are what is most active
when learning and studying. With music playing the brain waves are more likely to stay
engaged when new information is processes as well. The alpha waves are what are
more active during the problem solving process as well (Music and Learning:
Integrating Music in the Classroom, Chris Brewer). While music is used by people to
unwind form a stressful day study also show that music lowers students anxiety when
they study for a class they do not feel comfortable about a class(Using Science Songs to
Enhance Learning: An Interdisciplinary Approach, G. Crowther). Most people do not
realize that music can affect the brain in such way that it is a good thing to listen to
while studying and to have playing in the classroom.
Music also helps students retain more information then students that do not have
music with in their classrooms. Study show that students the age of 15 and older have
higher scores in reading and mathematics compared to students without music (Music
Enhances Learning, Eric). Music can also help students retain as much as 20% more
than students that do not listen to music (The Influence of the Music on Core Learning,
EADY, ED. D, ISREAL, and Janell D. Wilson PH.D), which is quite a lot of information
for just listening to music while studying for a test. Songs helped with phonemic
training, mnemonics, setting desired skills to familiar tunes, and linking connection to
cultural themes (Music Enhances learning, Eric), this helps students when studying so

they can retain more music as well. Music stabilizes mental, physical and emotional
rhythms to attain a state of deep concentration and focus in which large amounts of
content information can be processed and learned, this was in the article by John
Hopkins University, in Music and Learning: Integrating Music in the Classroom.
The use of music in the classroom as increased form not being allowed to the majority of
teachers having music play and allowing students to have their own music while in the
class. About sixty percent of teachers allows students to play music though their
personal devices (Music Enhances Learning, Eric). The classroom is a place where most
student do most of the learning, with class time can be very distracting music can be
used to keep student on tract and allow for more learning to be done when students can
easily distracted. Study show that for music to be most effective the music that students
listen to must be something the like to listen to for it will be distracting to them (Does
Listening to Music Affect Study? Sydney News). While most older studies say that
classical music is the best thing to listen to when studying, newer study show the
modern music that the studier will do better with because it will be less distracting to
them. This shows that if teacher want to keep their student engaged in their class they
need to play music that they are interested.
Music in the classroom also has effects on the environment with in the class.
When music is played in the classroom the students are more relaxed (Using Science
Songs to Enhance Learning: An Interdisciplinary Approach, G. Crowther), and the
music can destress the students about the class subject so they can focus more on
acutely learning and not about how hard the class might be for the student. Music in
the classroom also create a desired atmosphere [for learning], releases tension,
provides motivation, adds an element of fun, energize learning activities, and builds a
sense of anticipation (Music and Learning: Integrating Music in the Classroom, Chris
Brewer). Music in a classroom makes people are relaxed because it is something that
everyone can enjoy, also a classroom with music does seem more enjoyable which allows
students to seem more likely to show up to class then classes without music in them.
This is why music in classrooms do effect the class and how people perceive it.
For most students science is a very hard class to enjoy and to be good at it.
With having music in class can be good to use as a way for science teachers to help their
students remember information. As said by G. Crowther in the article Using Science
Songs to Enhance Learning: An Interdisciplinary Approach [song about science] helps
with organizing the processes of how science works which helped students memorized
and fuller understand the material. Crowther also states that song act like mnemonic
devices in that they seem to increase memorability, which help with the reembrace of
processes and other thing that is hard to remember for students. In another study
shows that 75% of college sociology students reported that lecture-related songs
preceding lectures made them feel more comfortable in the classroom( Using Science
Songs to Enhance Learning: An Interdisciplinary Approach, G. Crowther). Song about
other subjects are helpful such as history in the article The Influence of the Music on
Core Learning, in the journal, Popular Music Influence on Student Learning by

EADY, ED. D, ISREAL, and Janell D. Wilson PH.D., did a study on inner city student
and how rap music. The study show the rap beat versions cause students to become
motivated and interested in reciting poetry, because of the students' familiarity with rap
(The Influence of the Music on Core Learning). This shows how students can do better
with music intertwined with the class.
The next time a student is studying for a class or doing homework or even writing
a paper, they should turn on some music s they can focus better. Music affects the why
student learn and will give students a better chance at having higher grades. This is done
by how music affecting the brain, helps students retain more information when music is
played and how music effects the classroom environment.

Work Cited
Sydney News"Does Listening to Music Affect Study?" YouTube. Sydney News, 2014.
Web. 02 Nov. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l3niTSkudY>.
Brewer, Chris Broyd. "Music and Learning: Integrating Music in the Classroom." John
Hopkins University. John Hopkins University, 2012. Web. 2 Nov. 2015.
Eric. "Music Enhances Learning." ERIC - Music Enhances Learning., 2002-May. 1 May
2002. Web. 31 Oct. 2015.
EADY, ED. D, ISREAL, and Janell D. Wilson PH.D. "The Influence of the Music on Core
Learning." Popular Music Influence on Student Learning 125.2 (2004): 244-46. Print.