Many students put their headphones on before opening their textbooks. But does music actually help us focus? I always thought that listening to music helped me to concentrate on whatever I’m doing since it blocks all the background noise and distraction. Recently, scientists have found out that listening to music will have negative effects on our brain by overloading working memory, particularly with lyrics that interfere with verbal and reading comprehension. This article will explore what scientists say about music and concentration, and when music can be helpful or harmful during studying. 

There are occasions where music can be helpful. Then how come music disturbs us while studying even though music may be a helpful source that gives us dopamine? Then how does music affect our brain? Maybe you could have noticed that when you’re exercising, you tend to choose more exciting songs or noticed that a certain song relaxes or excites you. These effects are the result of music stimulating certain regions of the brain. In fact, music involves almost all of the brain regions and increases or decreases the chemicals. In a study, reported in Nature Neuroscience, found out that the chemical was released at peak enjoyment moments when listening to music. Researchers from McGill University said that it was the first time that dopamine, a chemical that acts as a reward center, regulating pleasure, motivation and memory, has been tested in response to music. When volunteers were listening to music they enjoyed, levels of dopamine were found to be up 9% higher. It shows that music is related to our reward systems. They found that music activates pleasure centers by releasing dopamine, stimulates neuroplasticity to build new connections and engages emotion-processing areas like the hippocampus. 

So far, it seems that music is a helpful source that gives us dopamine. So why does music disturb us while studying? When we study, brain regions like the prefrontal cortex(for focus, planning and working memory), and the hippocampus (for long term memory) are activated. If we listen to music with lyrics while studying, since music also activates PFC(prefrontal cortex) and hippocampus, we get distracted because they compete with the PFC’s attention resources, particularly when studying reading or language based material because when listening to music with lyrics, your brain also automatically tries to deal with the lyrics too. So when you are studying, music that has lyrics could distract you. 

However, there is music that does not disturb studying: music that has no lyrics. Your brain can focus more on studying since it doesn’t have to deal with lyrics. So most scientists say that music with lyrics could disturb you while music without lyrics wouldn’t disturb you when studying. Instrument or lyric-free music are helpful when your brain is at task on something that is related to language such as classical music, Jazz or various electronic styles. Repetitive or familiar music  helps you and works as a background noise while studying because it less attracts your attention and helps you to focus more. This kind of music could best help you at simple tasks like solving problems or memorizing. 

The practical tips for students that scientists said is

1. Music without lyrics mostly helps the brain to do the task
2. Lowering the volume is suggested
3. If you don’t seem to focus even listening to music without lyrics, turning it off is the best choice. 

There is no ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer that fits all people. Everybody has different taste in music and different brains so we can not say that some music helps or not. There are individual differences in how we study and what kind of environment they prefer to study in. Remember, music is just a tool for us to enjoy it and simply, the most effective way is to just find the way that best fits you.

By Madison Yi