Every student has his or her own methods of studying, whether it is by creating one’s own study environment, studying with friends, creating tasks, or through other practices. A popular method among teenagers is using music as background noise while studying, as many students believe listening to music helps them concentrate and maintain focus. However, the question of whether music is truly beneficial has been subject to question for many years. Does music really enhance students’ focus, or is it rather distracting for them? Asking Tenafly High School students, 36% of students stated that they listen to music while studying while 9% of students stated that they do not. Meanwhile, 55% of students stated that they “sometimes” listen to music while studying; in other words, they concur with both sides.
For those who believe that there are apparent benefits of studying with music, they theorize that music produces several positive effects to one’s body and their brain. According to an article from Music Gateway, listening to gentle music has been shown by multiple studies to improve concentration. “Adding gentle sounds will provide a kind of white noise background, allowing your brain to zone into what you’re doing,” article said. Likewise, most researchers recommend listening to soft, gentle music rather than loud music which could prove to be distracting, especially if the song contains lyrics.
Other theories point to specific genres of music being a better enhancement to students’ focus levels. In the 1990s, Dr. Shaw developed a theory now commonly known as the The Mozart Effect. By conducting research on a group of students for some time, Shaw concluded that listening to Mozart’s “Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major” resulted in significantly higher levels of spatial reasoning skills and increased IQs up to nine points. In fact, many students often see themselves finding more comfort by listening to classical music while studying; of course, not just Mozart, but also other musicians.
However, some studies have proven to be contradictory, and have shown that listening to music while studying is a mere distraction and can lower memory levels. For example, according to a study done by Pierre Salame and Alan Baddeley, listening to music while studying, especially songs with vocals, proved to be significantly damaging to one’s short-term memory when working on reading comprehension and analyzing texts.
By looking at both perspectives on the issue, it is clear that whether listening to music is beneficial or not depends on the individual and that there is no definitive answer to such a question. Asking students at Tenafly High School this question, it became notably clear that many students expressed a similar viewpoint. “I think that it depends on the person,” stated Nikhil Seth (’26). “Personally, I find it hard to study with music on without getting distracted, but I know many people who say they concentrate better with music on… it really depends on your preferences and whether you’re honest with yourself,” Seth said.
Some students expressed that they prefer listening to music only on certain occasions. “When doing intensive work, such as writing an essay, studying for a big test, or reading a passage, I like to avoid listening to music,” stated Brandon Cha (’26). However, Cha added that “on the other hand, when completing easier or more repetitive tasks, I like to listen to music so I can get into a rhythm.” Calvin Du .’26) indicated a similar opinion. Du believes that music is generally beneficial, “particularly in noisy environments.” Du stated that “when I am lacking motivation, playing upbeat music or electronic music helps me continue working. However, I do believe that music at a loud volume can be harmful.”
Ultimately, whether music is a benefactor or intruder to one’s concentration truly depends on the type of person and student you are. What type of person are you? Do you study better with music?
