How Students Can Relax by Music

Many parents wonder how students can relax by music playing while they are doing homework, studying, or simply having down time. The answer may lie in the type of music to which the student is listening.

Music can be calming and relaxing.

The Power of Music for Relaxation and Reducing Stress

It is important to remember that students need to relax. For many students, stress is an everyday part of their lives. Daily schoolwork, exams, and extra curricular activities combine with worries and concerns for their future in unsettled times often cause feelings of stress to build. Most students do not have stress management coping skills needed to alleviate their feelings.

Studies show that music has the power to relax the mind and is a wonderful method of relieving stress. A large number of students feel they are able to concentrate better and feel more relaxed with their headsets on and music blasting. Naturally, this is not true for everyone. There are also many students that find music playing very distracting and unsettling.

Researchers have proven that listening to certain types of music helps the brain to relax. The question of whether or not the music has to be a certain type, such as relaxing guitar music, slow jazz, or classical pieces remains a shady area. Most of the studies agree that certain types of music are more conducive to creating a relaxed state.

Individual Tastes in Relaxing Music

According to Professor Anita Claire in an article published in the University Daily Kansan, the University of Kansas student newspaper, the type of music a student uses to relax is strictly a matter of personal choice. Professor Claire, a board certified music therapist and duel-certified professor of music therapy and music education, believes that each person has a specific type of music associated with the positive feelings and times they have experienced throughout their lives. This occurs because of the close pairing of the areas in the brain that are associated with emotions and processing the music.

Since everyone has different life and music experiences, each student finds a specific type of music calming and relaxing. For one student it may be a classical overture, for another it may be rap or country music.

Using Music in the Classroom

For several years using music in the classroom to help students relax has been a growing trend. Researchers and educators found that music is not only calming to the students, it also facilitates cooperation and helps the students to focus.

In a study by Advanced Brain Technologies, the results showed playing Baroque music with an average tempo of 50-70 beats per minute proved the most effective for learning. Listening to music also:

• Lowered students’ blood pressure
• Lowered their muscle tension
• Slowed their heart rate
• Increased attention spans

Relaxing Music for the Classroom or Home Setting

Two excellent programs of classical music that are known to reduce stress and provide a feeling of relaxation for classroom or home use include:

• The Silence of Music by John B. Levine helps the student’s mind reach the alpha state allowing it to be calm, relaxed and receptive.
• Brain Builder by ABT Media uses classical music to relax the mind. Individual titles include:
  • Music to Relax
  • Music to De-Stress
  • Music for Thinking
  • Music for Concentration
  • Music for Learning
  • Music for Productivity
  • Music for Inspiration
  • Music for Motivation
  • Peak Performance
  • Maximum Focus
  • Music for Babies

Additional Resources: How Students Can Relax by Music Playing in the Background

• Indigo Teen Dreams includes uplifting music with guided meditation and relaxation techniques
• The Mozart Effect by Don Campbell
• The Children’s Music Web
• The Most Relaxing Classical Music in the Universe available at Amazon

Knowing how students can relax by music playing in the background assists parents in understanding this excellent form of relaxation and stress reduction.

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