By Lucas Hauser | Staff Writer
With finals upon us momentarily, now seems like a good time to discuss healthy study habits. Many of us turn to music for increased concentration, or merely something to fill the oppressive silence that comes with the weight of the work ahead. Every study has shown that classical music provides some benefits for people while studying and learning, but it’s hard to get yourself to listen to classical music, isn’t it? For many of us, the remedy is simple—listen to our favorite music. I would like to push back there, as I can assume that your playlist probably makes poor study music, no matter how much you think it helps you.
Think of it this way: When you’re driving and get into a tricky situation, you turn the radio down to focus. Studying is the same idea. I have found that while working, I’ll instinctively turn off my music when I reach something hard or complicated. From anecdotal observation, music with lyrics seems to add no value to your study session, as this type of music is more distracting than helpful.
This may not present satisfying options for you. Either listen to boring classical music or none at all for the best results. I would like to present an alternative—a Third Way—to find entirely instrumental non-distracting study music. Here are several genres to look for productive study music that slaps, with recommendations of my own in each category.
Classical Music
Hear me out on this one. The point of this search is to find music that has some gusto but can also serve as background music for cramming sessions on Swem 3rd floor (or your bedroom in quarantine). If you’re ever really in a jam, go with some boilerplate Chopin or Mozart or whatever. That will get the job done. However, not all classical music is the same. There are huge varieties and many subgenres to explore, some of which you will like more than others. While much is great background music, I implore you to do some digging on your own because there is so much out there that is exciting, interesting, and powerful.
My Recommendations: If you’re looking for classical music with some extra oomph, you can never go wrong with Dvorak’s New World Symphony or Holst’s The Planets. John Philip Sousa’s marches are fantastic, but many recordings are a century old, so you have to tread carefully.
Modern Orchestral Music
I can hear the crescendo of your frustration with this article. Please read with patience. It will probably get better.
While modern orchestral music has the same instrumentation as much classical music, that does not limit its viability for study music with a kick. In fact, this is a much more reliable source of interesting melodies and powerful music. As with so many other areas of our culture, international communication and the removal of restrictive orthodoxies have made space for innovation and creativity in orchestral music. Consequently, it is a good source for more interesting background music that still doesn’t have distracting lyrics.
My Recommendations: In this category, I would highly recommend David Maslanka, (particularly his Fourth Symphony) and Aaron Copeland. If you’re looking even less traditional, Frank Ticheli and John Mackey are wonderful composers.
Movie Soundtracks
From Star Wars to Indiana Jones, John Williams teaches us that the right movie music can have a transformative effect on the film. While listening, the music not only heightens emotions and suspense, but the themes are genuinely catchy and worth humming along to. This makes the perfect storm for study music. There is a vast amount of available music in this category. If you need somewhere to start, your favorite movies are probably your favorites in part due to good music.
My Recommendations: It is not hard to find good movie soundtracks. I’m sure you know many good ones, but here are a few of mine. Hans Zimmer never disappoints, and I’d especially mention Batman Begins and Inception. The theme to Rudy by Jerry Goldsmith can be particularly uplifting. If you are looking for something more mellow, try the beautiful “Scenes from the Louvre” by Norman Dello Joio, written for a TV special of the same name.
Video Game Soundtracks
Video game soundtracks are definitely a nontraditional source of music. However, the purpose of video game music suits it well for studying. Many video game themes are instantly memorable and identifiable, an integral detail in the experience. The melody has to come through, but the sound also has to accompany the game and not detract from it. This makes video game soundtracks fantastic study music.
My Recommendation: Even though I do not play that many video games, one from my childhood, Super Mario Galaxy 2, has a ridiculously good soundtrack. I cannot recommend it strongly enough. It has gotten me through midterms and several large papers. My GPA would be noticeably lower without this.
This song may seem like it breaks all of the rules I have laid out here, and it does. But you can listen and instantly be taken back to the summer of 2017—back when we could interact with people! Also, even if you stop listening (which you should not), the music will stay stuck in your head for days. What amazing value!
Perhaps the only downside is that this meets none of the criteria for good study music, even if it has super deep lyrics. And if you don’t like it, you can listen to “Ain’t it Fun” by Paramore instead, you heathen.