Thursday, March 13, 2014

Is Music Really Neccessary?


Sometimes I’ll be sitting at home, just listening to my music and drifting off in my own head. Then all the sudden I’ll have an ear bud ripped out and a stern looking parent in my face nagging about how “I’m never without my music” and “I never do anything unless music is involved.” Do I get upset? Sometimes, but I understand what they mean. I don’t even drive without one of my CD’s on. And sleeping is impossible without my radio. There really is nothing I do without music unless I absolutely have to and then I have to find myself extremely busy otherwise I can’t stand the silence. This isn’t just me that feels this way, I know a bunch of my peer group that feels the same way.

This isn’t something that I have just noticed within my school either. It’s something that people have done a lot of research on, and as it seems, music can push us through the hardest of times. *During a workout the music and the fast changing auditory changes trigger alerting responses and increase physiological arousal, causing us to be able to push through the climax of the work. This same stimulation pushes us through boring work that would normally lull us to sleep.*

*It is also noted that muscle movement that is coordinated with the beat we are listening to can help us do what we are trying to do, for example someone running with a fast paced beat is able to run farther and use less oxygen than someone who isn’t paced with music*. The music seems to increase neural firing and pass certain information faster than if you weren’t listening to music. Music can also be used as a memory tool, if you’re listening to a certain thing when you study, you tend to remember what you were learning later on when listening to the same thing. Also making up songs or using a song you already know as a mnemonic device is highly recommended, because then you can remember this information better when you aren’t allowed to have music WITH you. (For example a college exam or SATs)

I’m not going to lie, at this very moment I am listening to music to help me concentrate on this blog. I normally do, and when I don’t listen to music I tend to drift from really caring to what I’m saying, into feeling like I could care less about it. It’s not the always easy to find music that will keep you interested in what you are doing, but after of plenty of trial and error you’ll realize what it is that will keep your mind focused and help you excel at whatever you’re trying to do.

Until I write again

Au revior,

~Rayne

(**These pieces of information were found on The Globe And Mail website**)