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Students – Listening to Music While Studying Can Help!

Friday, May 25th, 2012

Ah, the power of music! Recent research has found that fast-paced beats can increase your exercise intensity and slow, quiet music can even reduce stress. But what type of music is best to help you study? Vancouver teacher Kelly K. shares her findings here…

It is widely accepted that the best environment for concentration is a quiet one; however the majority of students in the US say they prefer to study while listening to music, and in fact the highest achieving students are even guiltier of this. Why do students do this? To block out more distracting noise, to motivate themselves, to stay awake or to calm nerves… Whatever the reason, it’s important to find music that will serve your needs, while causing the least amount of distraction. The type of music a student listens to while studying contributes to how much information she can retain and how well she can focus. The most common type of music students report listening to while studying is popular music. However, if a person chooses to listen to music while trying to complete a task, is popular music really the best choice?

No! Classical instrumental is by far the better choice. Inspired by the findings of “The Mozart Effect,” I researched this further for my senior thesis in college. I had 112 participants and my results were statistically significant. I found that, on average, students score 90% on spatial reasoning tasks conducted in silence, 83% when listening to classical instrumental music, and 72% while listening to popular music with lyrics. This means that your choice of music could affect your GPA by a whole letter grade! One of the reasons for this may be that, due to a person’s capacity for attention, lyrics inhibit ability to focus.

Interestingly enough, I found that women are not only more likely to listen to music while trying to complete a task, but they are also more likely to become distracted by it. So, girls: try to study in a quiet environment, but if you must listen to music, make a good choice and go for classical rather than popular!

To sum it up, it’s best to study in a quiet environment. No matter what the reason, students are more likely to study while listening to music than to study in silence. So, make a smart decision and go for classical instead of popular – it could make the difference of a whole letter grade!

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Does music help YOU study? What kind of music do you turn on when you’re hitting the books? Stop by our Facebook page and let us know what helps you!

Kelly K. teaches piano to students of all ages and levels in Vancouver, Washington. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Music from Scripps College, and joined the TakeLessons team in August 2011. Sign up for lessons with Kelly, or visit TakeLessons to search for teachers near you!

Photo by billaday.

Tags: Classical music
Posted in Just For Fun, Music Education | No Comments »

3 Bizarre “Super Powers” of Music

Friday, May 4th, 2012

Bust out your guitar and warm up your vocal cords – May 7th marks the start of National Wanna Play Music Week, and Monday will be quite the kick-off!

This year, NAMM has teamed up with the Coalition of Music Education in Canada for the eighth annual Music Monday event, in which students across North America will be encouraged to all play the same song, at the same time. According to NAMM’s website, last year the event inspired more than 700,000 students to participate in the simultaneous concert and celebrate music education in schools. If you’d like to join in, head on over to the Wanna Play Music website to learn more.

We love seeing students so excited about music – it’s what we’re all about! And if you’re reading this blog, we’re guessing you’re right there with us and that you already know all of the benefits of playing music. In fact, some might go so far as to say music has some pretty cool super powers. Don’t believe us? Check out these weird ways music messes with the human brain…

1) It Changes Your Ability to Perceive Time
Hold music – the stuff you hear on the line when you call everyone from the bank to your local bail bond agency — didn’t fall into America’s phone lines by accident. It’s designed specifically to reduce the amount of time you think you’re waiting, so that you’re less likely to hang up in anger. Other places that involve waiting, such as doctors’ offices, use a similar trick.

To understand why exactly music makes it seem like less time has passed, think of the human brain as a mountain lion that is eating a bag of money. It doesn’t matter what the zookeepers distract it with – food, shiny objects or just shouting and yelling. All that matters is that they give another zookeeper the chance to sneak up and retrieve the money while the lion is busy deciding which one of them to eat.

Similarly, when your brain is steadily distracted, you’ll be less likely to notice things around you in detail, and this includes the passage of time.

2) It Taps Into Primal Fear
OK, imagine how you would sound for a second if you saw your friend Jason across the street and wanted to get his attention by yelling his name. Now imagine you see your friend Jason across the street, suddenly realize a car is careening down the road about to hit him, and shout his name to warn him.

Despite the fact that you are yelling the same thing both times, even in your head you can hear how the two sound different. Human beings have a very good, very nuanced sense of what kind of noise indicates a greeting and what kind of noise indicates you are about to be mauled by a honey badger.

There are certain sounds that humans will automatically associate with sudden and painful death because they tap into our evolutionary fear of the screams of other animals (and other human beings). Screams of fear in almost any animal are made up of what scientists have dubbed “discordant noises.” Any noise that makes you feel very unpleasant falls into this category. Movie directors know this too and make good use of it when deciding on the score for a film.

3) It Makes You Stronger
It’s no secret that many people prefer to listen to music when they work out. But music doesn’t just make physical activity more pleasant – it actually makes our physical performance measurably better. When listening to music, people are able to hold heavy weights for longer than when they’re standing in silence. They can also complete sprints in smaller amounts of time and are even able to reduce their oxygen intake.

Similar to the time-perception effect we referenced above, one element is just plain old distraction. Obviously, if your mind is listening to music, it’s not thinking about how much your legs hurt or how much longer you’ve got to run before the treadmill makes that final beeping noise. But there’s much more to it than that – such as synchronicity. When you match your movements to a steady musical tempo, you spend less time and effort on the inefficient slowing down and speeding up that happens when you’re going by your own rhythm.

So there you have it – the power of music in all its weird, wonderful ways. Do you believe it? Stop by our Facebook page and let us know your thoughts!

You might also like…
- 5 Key Benefits of Taking Music Lessons as an Adult
- All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Music Recitals
- Excel at Music By Acting Like a Child

Photo by gematrium.

Posted in Inspiration & Motivation!, Just For Fun, Music Education | No Comments »

Help Your Child Choose the Right Instrument

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

Country singer Dierks Bentley released his newest album this week, but be warned: country fan or not, his song “Thinking Of You” is sure to pull on your heartstrings. Written for and featuring a section sung by Bentley’s 3-year-old daughter, Evie, the song shows a much softer side of the singer, who is better known for light-hearted lyrics like in “Am I The Only One” and his ode to Friday nights, “Tip It On Back.” (Check out a video of Evie performing alongside her dad in Nashville here.)

With a father like that, we’re guessing Evie will be picking up a guitar in no time. But if you’re a parent with no musical background, it may feel overwhelming when your child shows interest in learning an instrument.

There are so many instruments to pick from, and so many reasons to select one or the other. You’ll want to consider things like your child’s physical form, commitment level and portability of the instrument of choice. Of course, keep in mind that many musicians start out on one instrument, and continue on to try out several different instruments as they progress. So if your child comes home dreaming of piccolos and baritone saxophones, encourage him or her to start with something easier. The most common choices are guitar and piano, but here are 6 more great instruments for beginners:

- Recorder – Simple, cheap and sturdy. Great for the youngest music students.

- Clarinet – Similar qualities as the recorder, and a great step up once the child “graduates” from the recorder. The clarinet is bigger and somewhat heavier, but fairly easy to get a sound on and operate. From the clarinet, many students switch to other instruments, such as bass clarinet, oboe or bassoon.

- Flute – Another common instrument in concert bands, the flute can be fairly easy to learn. Keep in mind, however, it can be pretty hard to get the first tone out of a flute, and your child may be discouraged if it takes days or weeks to get it right. Advanced, dedicated flute players may have the opportunity to move up to the piccolo someday, usually after four or five years.

- Alto Saxophone – When most people say “saxophone,” they’re referring to the alto sax. It’s the most common saxophone, and is of a size that can be handled by many different ages of people. From the alto sax, students often switch to other sizes of saxophone, such as the soprano (smaller), the tenor (somewhat larger), and the baritone (even bigger than that).

- Trumpet/Cornet - The trumpet is a common brass instrument, and the cornet is a smaller instrument that is very similar. Both are popular with beginners and experienced players alike.

- Violin – The violin is the smallest instrument in the violin family, a popular instrument among younger children who wish to be in an orchestra program.

You’ve got the instrument… need help finding the perfect teacher? Search by zip code here. Like these posts? Sign up to receive daily updates right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe.

Supporting Your Child In Music: Practicing Tips

Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

The Associated Press announced today that the Country Music Association is donating $1.4 million to a campaign aimed at supporting music education programs in Nashville. Since 2006 the CMA has donated more than $6 million to public schools, using the money to build music labs and purchase more than 4,000 instruments.

With many schools still cutting music and arts programs, the initiative gives hope to students and teachers alike. If your child participates in his or her school music program, you probably know all about the benefits of taking music lessons. But often, parents are left out in the dark in terms of how to provide support along the way. It’s more than just attending the concerts and recitals, and you don’t even need to know anything about music to help.

So how can you support your child in music? Check out these tips for parents from FamilyEducation.com:

Choosing the right instrument
- Ask your child what sounds he/she likes and what instruments appeal to him/her.
- Talk to the school band or strings teacher about your child’s interest before making a decision. Most beginning band and orchestra teachers let students hold and try out different instruments to help them make a choice.
- Allow your child to explore. Many musicians started out on one instrument only to switch a few years later to another instrument with much greater success.

Practice Tips for Elementary School Kids
- Help your child set up a special place at home to practice.
- Establish a time each day to play. Some children are at their best in the morning, before school. Others may do better right after school, or later in the evening.
- Consider using the phrase “playing time” rather than “practice time.”
- If possible, be a positive part of your child’s playing time. Sit with your child while he or she plays and ask, “Show me what you’re learning.” Or, consider learning to play the instrument with your child.
- Praise your child for each step forward.
- Never make negative remarks about how your child’s playing sounds. It takes time and effort to produce musical sounds.
- Provide positive role models. Bring your child to hear amateur or professional musicians perform, or take your child to movies that show musicians in a positive light.
- When seeking private lessons, find a qualified teacher you can talk to easily and make sure your child is comfortable with the teacher.

Practice Tips for Middle and High School Kids
- Help your child set up a regular time every day to practice, and help establish a routine. This may require some consultation with your child’s teacher.
- Explain to your child that learning happens in stages. Sometimes a student will work on something for a long time with no apparent improvement, and then discover a sudden leap in ability. Other times, learning happens very quickly. The important thing to stress is that consistent practice will yield results.
- Help your young musician set practice goals. Keeping a journal, not just a practice chart, helps track the peaks and valleys of learning a new piece or improving fundamental skills.
- As a parent, don’t make judgments about the musical quality of your child’s practicing. Learning an instrument requires lots of squeaks, scratches, and wrong notes.

Parents, what do you think? Teachers, what other advice can you offer? Leave a comment and join the discussion! Like these posts? Sign up to receive daily updates right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe.

You might also like…
- Help Your Child Choose the Right Instrument
- 12 Easy Steps to Help ANY Parent Support Their Musical Child (Even If You Don’t Have a Clue About Music)
- All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Music Recitals

Photo by USAG-Humphreys.

Posted in Music Education, Music Lessons for Children, Tips For Parents | 3 Comments »

How to Tune into the Perfect Music Teacher for You

Friday, January 13th, 2012

Whether you yearn to be the next Billboard chart-topper, or just earn first chair in your orchestra, excelling in music takes hard work, dedication and a commitment to practicing to get there. Yesterday we discussed some tips for avoiding injuries as a musician, including warm-up exercises, stretches and proper posture. But if you’ve been playing for a while and adopted bad habits from the start, it may take the expertise of a professional music teacher to help you correct those habits. While YouTube videos may be good for learning a couple of guitar chords, they don’t provide the one-on-one feedback that a private teacher will.

Music lessons are a very personal experience, and finding the best teacher for you is often half the battle. Here, TakeLessons Student Counselors Kathleen V. and Danae G. explore the most important things to consider when finding a music teacher:

First, think about why you are learning to play your instrument. Are you trying to get a scholarship for college? Are you a stressed-out business executive unwinding after work? Are you an aspiring artist or rockstar? Do you just want to have fun and check this off of your bucket list? Once you have that figured out, you’ll have a better idea of what you need in a teacher. Of course, use your intuition to feel everything out. For a student to grow to their full potential and learn the most effectively, safety and comfort are very important. For example…

- Has this teacher had a criminal background check done?
- Have you seen any letters of recommendation or feedback from previous students?
- Are the lessons taught out of a safe and comfortable home or studio location?

Next, you want to find out about quality. This is something that causes many people to be misled. If you lower your standards too much, you will end up taking lessons for double the amount of time, causing you to pay far more in the long run and feel frustrated with the lack of progress.

Here are a few more questions that may help you to make a decision:

- Does the teacher have credentials to teach?
- Are there any videos of the teacher performing or teaching that you can watch to get an idea of their style in teaching or performing?
- What level does this teacher teach up to? (Beginning – Advanced)
- Does this teacher work best with adults or children?
- Is this teacher connected to a reputable affiliation?
- How many years of experience does he/she have playing? Teaching?
- Does the teacher have group lessons and individual lessons available?
- Is there any type of Money Back Guarantee if it isn’t a perfect fit?