It is indisputable that music accompanies us every day. Practically, there are activities that we cannot conceive without the right melody. During my years of study (which have not yet concluded, we never stop studying), choosing music when studying has always been a challenge, with its respective highs and lows. Going through all kinds of genres, the music for studying either worked or was a total disaster. Looking back, I am no longer the same person from my years in the university library trying to understand what Discrete Mathematics were, and of course, my musical tastes are not the same. After so much time, I return to the charge in search of the perfect playlist for those hours and it is a pleasure to share my results with you. But first, let’s get to know why I consider music necessary in learning and, above all, in creative processes.

Let’s start with the levels of stress to which we are subjected daily. We cannot sit down to gobble up a large amount of information with our minds full of problems that we are trying to solve. Music has demonstrated effects on our level of concentration and stress reduction. According to an article in Time, it has been shown that listening to music can decrease anxiety and improve mood, which could facilitate moments of creativity. Greater Good Magazine, in one of its digital articles, considers music as an aid to promote divergent thinking, an essential step for creatives and people who need to find new solutions to various problems. Music when studying helps us improve reading, strengthens memory and concentration, adding a new stimulus to our learning process. The study time will become a multisensory activity. All these stimuli increase our neural connections, achieving the much-mentioned neuroplasticity which is defined as the brain’s ability to reorganize its patterns of neural connectivity, readjusting its functionality.

Tuning the Melody: How to Choose the Perfect Music for Studying

Starting from the point where musical tastes is a completely personal choice, created through the most diverse factors and being this an experience more than a guide, here I leave what I consider relevant when choosing music to study along with a few tips.

1. The rhythm is very important and so are the lyrics:

Yes, I know you love Taylor Swift, but I don’t think you’ll be productive if you stop to sing the song, so for now let’s look for music with a moderate rhythm (not too slow, you won’t want to fall asleep). We are mainly looking for a sense of calm and tranquility. In this case, I prefer music without lyrics or in a language that I do not know, but that I enjoy its melody. Instrumental or classical music is, without a doubt, a good option.

2. It’s your music, it’s your tastes:

I repeat, they are your musical tastes. Keep this in mind when selecting your music for studying. If you don’t enjoy classical music, you won’t feel motivated to spend two hours listening to “The Four Seasons” by Antonio Vivaldi and we will have failed in the attempt to make study time a pleasant experience. Try instrumental soundtracks from your favorite movies or the music from that video game you spent hours on when you were a kid.

3. Volume, just right:

Listen to music at a moderate volume, perhaps closer to a low volume. We don’t want to get distracted. The study is our protagonist, the music will be its companion.

4. A list, please:

Take your time and plan a playlist in advance. Avoid adding new songs or skipping tracks in the middle of a study session. As for the duration, 2 hours of music is usually a good start. Use ad-free services or download music to your device.

5. The perfect space:

It goes without saying about this point. Look for a perfect space for your study session (a library, a park, a corner of your house…). The most important thing is to feel comfortable and create an environment of concentration and productivity. The choice to use headphones is quite particular, as is preferring noise cancellation or not. The important thing is to prioritize sound quality and avoid interruptions.

Well, if you’ve read this far, you might be wondering what my playlist is. It’s a pleasure to share it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do and find it useful for those study hours. I sincerely thank you for taking the time to read this article. Your support means a lot to me and motivates me to continue sharing content that can be useful and interesting to you. If you found this article useful or enjoyed reading it, I would greatly appreciate it if you shared it with your friends or on your social networks. Success.

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I’m Ernesto, a Cuban passionate about art and writing. Always learning, always growing. Excited to share and learn more every day! I write about art, drawing, video games, nature, and review the things I like. My goal is to inspire and connect with others through my creative journey.  

This article was originally published on Medium.