7 Tunes For When You Hit the Books
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When you head to the library to get in the homework zone, you may consider your headphones a studying essential.
Studies found that classical music, “easy listening,” and instrumental music lead to more productivity and focus among musical genres.
Still, the music that makes you most productive is also largely due to your personal taste. If you are looking for some new songs to get you through your paper or problem set, here are some recommendations from the Noodle Team:
1. Aphex Twin – “Alberto Balsalm”
# # ## Video courtesy of Vauhtipiru Vaara
Miles Keenlyside says, “Don’t be put off by their strange album art. Aphex Twin’s rhythmic and melodically ambient sound is perfect for studying to a dreamy steady beat without the distraction of lyrics.”
2. Queen – “Don’t Stop Me Now”
# # ## Video courtesy of Queen Official
Abby Garcia explains, “Listen to this song when you are half way through a thesis, and you will get motivated to finish it. Freddie Mercury’s energy is contagious and will put you in a great mood anytime.”
3. Tenacious D – “Wonderboy”
# # ## Video courtesy of tenaciousDVEVO
“I find that I work best when neither the lyrics nor the melody are overly engaging — but are still complex enough to keep a part of my brain interested. Wonderboy tells a silly story that doesn’t make too much sense, the lyrics are fun, repetitive, and include some scatting. The music itself is not particularly challenging to follow but it has a few fun riffs. I find that I get distracted with wonderful Classical music or lyrics that are too engaging, and I seek other distractions if the music is boring — it’s important for my work to find the right balance,” said Sasha Katsnelson.
4. Eric Henderson – “Moonlight Sonata Classical Guitar”
# # ## Video courtesy of Eric Henderson Music
To explain her selection, Jessica Finger wrote “I used to just have a Spotify ‘classical study music’ playlist on repeat until I discovered classical guitar. It’s usually quiet enough you can focus, but there is always a beat you can sway along to. There are multiple arrangements of Moonlight Sonata, but this is hands down my favorite.”
5. Mahler – “Symphony No. 8″
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“In general, the power and theatricality of late-Romantic music tend to keep me energized and focused. I also listen to heavy metal for the same reason,” said Charles Wang.
6. The End of the Ocean – “Worth Everything Ever Wished For”
# # ## Video courtesy of kXipu
Lisa Ziviello explains, “There are no lyrics to distract me from reading or writing. Plus, the music is soothing, but not sleepy. It would be hard to get work done if the music lulled me into taking a nap.”
7. Charles Mingus – “Cryin’ Blues”
# # ## Video courtesy of imagetonthistvmama
“I personally feel that jazz is a great background for most any activity, but it’s particularly great listening during study sessions. You feel smarter just listening to it. And you can’t go wrong with Mingus; he’s one of my faves,” said Chris Lebron.