Mixed Musical Messages

Mixed Musical Messages How listening to music can help AND hinder learning. The Mozart Effect: A theory that music has the power to transform. This term refers to the effect of many types of music, not just Classical. How music may help: Various studies reveal how music can positively impact humans: HEALTH EDUCATION WELL-BEING • Lowers blood pressure Improves memory Reduces stress, depression, anxiety Helps manage pain Induces sleep Helps with dyslexia and ADD Helps healing from injury or surgery Activates creativity Improves awareness • Helps manage epilepsy Facilitates short-term • Helps relaxation improvement of spatial- temporal reasoning FACTOID Melophobia: Fear of music Paging Dr. Mozart.. His music helped patients with glaucoma and neurological conditions perform better in a peripheral vision test. One study found that doctors may be better at finding precancerous colon polyps when listening to Mozart. Why Is the Music of Mozart So Special? • High degree of long-term periodicity Periodicity = The quality of having recurring elements at regular intervals. • Emphasis on the average power of particular notes • Clarity, form, and excellence of performance Not over-stimulating Mind the Gaps Even the transitions-the quiet parts-within a piece of music may keep our brains working. Studies have shown: Peak brain activity Listening to music can be a way for our brains to practice anticipating events and sustaining > When we are listening to complex music, our brains will temporarily diminish sense of sight occurs during the brief periods of silence between sections in a piece of music attention to help us hear the music better Can Music Help You Study? If it has a complicated melody or lyrics, the answer may be "no." TURN IT UP! TURN IT OFF. • Write a paper • Study facts and dates • Learn math, physics formulas • Memorize the periodic table • Learn foreign language rules • Organize notes • Assemble a presentation One study found that listening to music impairs the ability to recall random groups of numbers, whether the listener likes the music or not. FACTOID Amusia: Inability to process and hear music Timing Is Everything Instead of listening to music while you study for that physics final, listen before you hit the books and you may have: Better focus Enhanced memory Improved cognitive function Less stress and anxiety So...enjoy your music on the way to the library. But once you're there, unplug from your iPod and heed the librarian's request to shhhhhhhh when it's time to hit the books! OnlineSchools.com Sources: For every chapter of your education http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ASH/9597 http://www.mozarteffect.com/RandR/index.html Created for OnlineSchools.com © QuinStreet, Inc., 2012 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1281386/ http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111031114955.htm http://med.stanford.edu/news_releases/2007/july/music.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7074695.stm http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/27/music-may-harm-your-studying-study-says/ http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120417221709.htm http://www.indiana.edu/-intellI/mozarteffect2.shtml#why http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100727112521.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120417221709.htm Mozart was left-handed!