Does Music Help Concentration?

By Vaishu Sundaram, Director of Events

It’s that time of the week! Sunday morning, getting ready to have the most productive day ever before the rush of the new week. 

Whether you have a bunch of small mundane tasks around the house that you're itching to cross off on your to-do list or you have your final paper due on Monday morning, you’ve probably used music to help you finish. 

Just pop in those earbuds and you are off!

Listening to music to improve your productivity is highly beneficial but entirely subjective. For one person, listening to music may be the sole reason for their productivity and for another it may prove to be a distraction. 

But for those that thrive off of music, it has amazing benefits that can help you in the long run. Music is a great way to improve your concentration and keep you focused on the task at hand. 

Here are a few benefits:  

Blocking

Music can block out any background noise to eliminate those distractions around you, especially if you have a hard time focusing or having a small attention span. Whether it be a chill Lofi beat or an epic track that makes you feel like the protagonist, music can help you stay on track. 

Stress-buster!

For starters, you’ve probably heard this all throughout your lifetime that art has a certain impact on individuals and their mental health. Music comes with healing properties that not only shows impressive progress in lowering stress levels, but also retaining that motivation and productivity. 

Memory-retainer

Have you ever had Deja Vu while listening to music? Well, it’s probably because you learned something new while listening to the exact same track. During one of my study sessions for biology, I listened to a chill Lofi beat while reviewing my notes. The next day I came back, I turned the music on and everything came back to me!

My teacher’s have always told me that repetition is key and that may be the case for many of you! Not only does music give you motivation to keep moving forward, but it also starts to help you with repetition. You’ll find it fun, trust me! :)

However, though these benefits may sound interesting, they may not work for everyone. It is important to make note that for many individuals, music can pose a distraction to achieve our tasks.  

Though music has many healing properties when tying it to productivity and study, it can offer another escape from our minds. It can hinder our ability to move or think fast, as music is a calm way to heal. We may often find ourselves so deep within the tune of the music that we forget about the task at hand. 

Final thoughts:

At the end of the day, the answer to the question, “Does music help concentration” is a maybe! For some it may work and for others, that may not be the case. 

If you love music but are conflicted with the idea of it helping you with concentration, start off with a mellow Lofi beat that blends into your background or a coffee shop ambience. The possibilities are endless! 

It is important to consider that productivity does not come from our surroundings, but rather from the inside. Music is there to help and guide us along the way! According to Marilyn Manson, “Music is the strongest form of magic”.

Sources: