There have always been conflicting opinions about the use of music in a classroom or throughout the school itself. Some believes it to be a distraction and others believe it helps them focus.

Some students agree that music is helpful for them, such as freshmen Demitris Lockhart, who says, “I can get into my own zone as I block out all distractions.” This is just one of the many students who uses music to escape from the noise of their outside surroundings to focus on one thing.

A study by Florida National University shows that music can in fact lead to better performance when working and this is all due to the many positive impacts music has on people. One of the many reasons is that music can make repetitive tasks bearable. This is because music eases the boredom of the task which allows you to be more productive.

Another showcase of the positives of music is that it calms the mind which allows you to focus for a longer stretch of time. Finally, music is just a great way to better your mood. Music is known to make people happier and more willing to get their work done.

English teacher Ms. Glenn herself finds music helpful when needing to motivate herself to be productive. She shares, “When I started teaching almost two decades ago it was completely taboo to allow students to listen to music while they work and as someone who enjoys listening to music while I work I love that now I can allow my students to enjoy that too.”

While music can be helpful in many ways it also has its bad side. As music does not affect everyone universally the same. Music is more in tune with your personality so what may help one person focus and feel better doesn’t necessarily help someone else.

That doesn’t mean some people can’s use music to focus. It just means they must find what’s right for them. Sometimes music can distract people as a certain genre may over stimulate the brain for them and certain genres can bore the listener making it harder to focus. So, it’s up to the person to find songs that’s right to help them focus and improve academically.

Source: “The Benefits of Studying with Music.” Florida National University. 13 August 2019. Web Accessed 22 March 2022.