By Mikaila Rodriguez ’26
Music is listened to by everyone. There’s music that can fit any emotion you’re feeling. When you’re feeling happy, you might listen to “Party In The U.S.A.” Or when you’re feeling sad, you might listen to any song by Cigarettes After Sex. Either way, listening to music makes you feel better no matter what you’re feeling, right? Music can help with an abundance of things. With studying, relaxing, and even improving your mood and overall well being. People think that listening to music doesn’t help with anything, and that this is just a hoax, but there is evidence that links to people’s mental health improving when they constantly listen to the music that they love and enjoy.
When you’re feeling stressed, whether it’s about a test tomorrow, or something going on in your social life which is causing you to toss and turn all night, just put on music! Music helps you have restful sleep. Listening to music helps calm the mind, so you’ll be able to fall asleep faster and be asleep for longer. “Research has shown that music has the potential to increase both the quantity and quality of sleep. In one study, people who listened to 45 minutes of music while lying down to sleep every night for three weeks had feelings of more restful sleep, fell asleep faster after lying down, and slept for longer periods of time” (Gayhardt). You can listen to rain sounds, songs that bring you comfort, songs that are calming, etc. It doesn’t matter what type of music you listen to that’ll help you sleep better; as long as you find the music comforting and relaxing, it’ll help significantly.
When you’re having a rough time, music can provide you comfort, whether it’s music with lyrics that fit what you’re going through or music that brings back good memories with them. Listening to music that brings you good memories can give you hope, and give you a feeling like you can do anything even when you have a difficult challenge ahead of you. When listening to music with lyrics that fit what you’re going through, it can help you open up about what you’re feeling. Those lyrics would make you think about everything that’s been happening, and you would be able to open up and talk about it without feeling judged. Because you already heard it in the song, you would be able to feel that you can speak up about it. “Listening to certain types of music can evoke memories of happier times, providing a sense of hope and optimism even when faced with difficult circumstances. This kind of emotional healing is often accompanied by physical healing; studies have found that people who listen regularly experience improved sleep quality, lower blood pressure, reduced pain levels, and increased immune system functioning” (Victor). Stress can have serious effects on the mind and body. Your body’s response to this stress can show itself in many different ways. Body pains, headaches, loss of sleep, etc. Listening to music when you’re upset is really comforting. When the lyrics match exactly what you’re going through, it feels like a weight is taken off your shoulders. You feel a sense of security because you can express what you’re feeling through music. Especially when you’re the type of person that hates opening up and expressing how they feel.
Music can help your memory! The people that listened to classical music when studying forgot less material that they learned than the people who didn’t listen to music at all. In general, if you’re listening to music while studying, by the time the test comes you’ll remember what you learned if you listened to the same track you were playing when you were studying. Listening to music helps kickstart the brain into retaining information better, and activate parts of the brain with memorization. “The rhythm and melody of certain pieces of music can help focus attention on tasks that require concentration, such as reading or writing an essay. Instrumental tracks without lyrics are often best for this purpose since they won’t distract you with words or singing voices like vocal-based songs might do” (Victor). I find that listening to music with words helps me more than music with no words. When I was studying for my midterms, I wanted to try and see if music without words would help me retain information. I ended up spacing out a bunch of times, which is why I prefer listening to my favorite songs with words while I study. When I’m doing work in class, I find myself being more productive. I work on my assignments without spacing out, I pay attention more, and I stay motivated. It sucks when teachers say to take the earbuds out because I work better with music. And I’m sure that lots of people can say the same.
People (especially schools) say that music doesn’t help with focusing, improving studying, etc., but studies prove that music can help with pretty much everything. Schools don’t want people having their earbuds in when people work better while listening to music. They say that it’s distracting when in reality it helps us succeed in finishing assignments and paying attention more often.
In conclusion, music can help with an abundance of things. It can help you study, focus, sleep, reduce anxiety, and even express yourself. We should push schools to change the policy on earbuds because music helps us, and they need to see that. So mention something to your principal and/or vice principal; make a change for the greater good!
Works Cited
Gayhardt, Don. “Don Gayhardt.” 4 Remarkable Ways Music Helps You During Difficult Times of Life, https://dongayhardt.weebly.com. Accessed 3 May 2024.
Gepp, Karin. “healthline.” Music and Studying: It’s Complicated, https://www.healthline.com. Accessed 3 May 2024.
The Jed Foundation. “The Jed Foundation.” How Music Can Improve Your Mental Health, https://jedfoundation.org. Accessed 3 May 2024.
K, Christopher. “How Music Has Helped Us Get Through Hard Times.” The Culture Crypt, https://www.theculturecrypt.com. Accessed 3 May 2024.
ReachOut Australia. “ReachOut.” 5 ways music can get you through tough times, https://au.reachout.com. Accessed 3 May 2024.Victor, David. “How Music Helps People Heal: The Therapeutic Power of Music.” Harmony & Healing, https://www.harmonyandhealing.org. Accessed 3 May 2024.
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