Learning With Or Without Music – What Is Recommended?

Music has become a productivity tool for many people’s learning. However, we must remember that not all people react in the same way to auditory stimuli. In this context, care should be taken when deciding whether we are interested in learning with or without music.

Why? Well, it won’t necessarily work the same for all of us.

For example, some people require a quiet, noise-free environment in order to be able to concentrate on their subject of study. On the other hand, there are people who improve their data retention by using background music while studying. Learning with or without music ? Today we will look at this issue.

Learning with music – what are the benefits?

The auditory learning style stimulates learning-ready areas of the brain. In other words, when we have the ability to learn through sounds, listening to music is a useful resource. Especially when it comes to learning languages.

Another important aspect to consider is our ability to concentrate. This means that not all people achieve the same level of focus when studying. It is natural that for some environmental stimuli do not constitute any distraction, while for others any sound causes distraction.

Let’s take a look at this list of the best ways to get the most out of your music during your hours of study. Given that each person is different, these benefits focus on those who exhibit an auditory learning style and are able to focus in such settings.

1. Moderate volume

When music is played at a moderate volume, the brain is able to focus on the main activity (learning). In this case, the music has a relaxing effect, which in turn helps to keep the learning process flowing. Mental exhaustion also lowers.

2. Choose classical music

There are studies, such as the one we will cover later, that support the benefits of classical music in studying. Since science promotes classical melodies, it is worth implementing this method and checking the results yourself.

3. Learning with music? Have a playlist ready

It’s best to create a playlist to avoid long pauses. Indeed, the less we interrupt the learning process, the more effective it will be. It is recommended that playlists should be at least 2 hours continuous.

Learning with music – what are its disadvantages?

Not everything is in pink when it comes to learning with music. In addition to the advantages we have discussed, we also need to list some disadvantages. In the list below, we provide data on the negative aspects of music during the hours of concentration.

1. This kind of learning can be distracting

As we already know, not all people are multitaskers. This means that some people have to look for a sound-free environment in order to properly concentrate on what they need to learn. In short, music doesn’t go unnoticed by the brain.

2. Can form constant habits

As we get used to listening to music while learning, classical conditioning appears. Summarizing what was said before, the learning time becomes a conditional stimulus for the melody. Which means that every time we start learning we feel the need to put music in the background.

However, we will not always be able to do it, which is why it is worth being able to learn also in silence.

This condition reduces productivity. On the one hand, because we become addicted to music to carry out the learning process. On the other hand , we don’t give the brain a chance to focus fully on just one activity.

3. Encourages unnecessary contact with electronic devices

It is not uncommon for people to listen to music via mobile devices. For example, you can see some teenagers play songs on YouTube via their smartphone while trying to learn. On this basis, it was found to be a dual distracting factor.

Learning with music – what does the research show?

One study that shows the brain’s benefits of classical music was conducted in 2007 by Stanford University. The said study was conducted at the faculty of medical school.

The results showed the following:

• Classical music is conducive to remembering and interpreting information. The reason is that harmonious melodies of moderate volume do not interfere with concentration, on the contrary, they have a strengthening effect.

• Classical music works on the brain like training. This means that when we listen to classical music while studying, it strengthens the areas of the brain that involve attention, interpretation and anticipation of events.

These findings suggest that people who listen to classical melodies while studying will do better in academia. The reason for this is that the human brain acquires the ability to better interpret new information.

A more recent study, conducted in 2019, found that music acts as an activator of nerve pleasure centers. This research shows that people’s favorite music increases their level of motivation.

How to choose music for learning?

Based on what we have said so far, we can apply some rules to choose the right music for learning. It will be necessary to maintain a moderate volume all the time so that the sound does not disturb us.

In addition, these effective tips will help us improve our learning process:

• Take what science says. It’s best to choose a type of music that has proven to have real benefits for your intellectual abilities. This is the case with classical music, for example.
• In some cases, the subject of our science will not be new, that is, we will not acquire new information, but rather strengthen what already exists. If so, we can choose the music of our preferred genre.
• Avoid selecting music from your mobile phone. Using the phone to play soundtracks exposes us to interaction with the mobile device, which is not conducive to concentration.

When is silence better than learning with music?

Despite the benefits that learning with music can provide, it’s not a good idea to overuse this resource. Either way, excess of everything is harmful. In that case, if we get used to listening to music every time we start learning, we will become addicted to this system.

We could use music for the advanced stages of learning when we had our first approach to the subject. Instead, silence is recommended in the initial phases when we need more mindfulness and focus.