| There are many people who like to listen to music | | | | music which has a constant, easy beat and light |
| while they work and I am certainly one of them. I | | | | melodies are recommended. These are said to be |
| find it helps me focus more on the task at hand. | | | | good for those trying to study as they help you |
| Of course I can imagine that there are people | | | | pace your reading to aid focus and memorising. |
| who listen to music because it helps them NOT to | | | | Baroque music is reported as an excellent |
| focus on their job. | | | | example, especially the works of Vivaldi, Bach and |
| Whilst there may be many reasons for wishing to | | | | Handel. |
| listen to music in the workplace, can it really | | | | Rock music can have a similar effect. According |
| improve your productivity? | | | | to a report in the journal Neuroscience of |
| We know that music can alter your mood. Films | | | | Behavior and Physiology, the Russian Academy of |
| have been using musical scores for years to | | | | Sciences discovered that a person's ability to |
| create the right mood for a scene. At times you | | | | recognize visual images, including letters and |
| hardly notice the music at all but you are very | | | | numbers, is faster when either rock or classical |
| receptive to the mood being conveyed. So can | | | | music is playing in the background. |
| we use music to put us in a "productive" mood? | | | | If you are aiming to be more productive through |
| Research seems to support such a claim. For | | | | being more relaxed, then you may be interested |
| example, a trial where 75 out of 256 workers at | | | | to learn that research has shown that music with |
| a large retail company were issued with personal | | | | an upbeat rhythm can reduce stress hormone |
| stereos to wear at work for four weeks showed | | | | levels by as much as 41%. |
| a 10% increase in productivity for the headphone | | | | Some of the most publicised studies into whether |
| wearers. Other similar research conducted by | | | | listening to music increases productivity have |
| researchers at the University of Illinois found a | | | | centred on what has been termed the "Mozart |
| 6.3% increase when compared with the no music | | | | effect". The term got its name after a study |
| control group. | | | | showed that college students had performed |
| So if we accept that music does increase | | | | better solving mathematical problems when |
| productivity, does it matter what types of music | | | | listening to classical music. The effect of listening |
| we listen to? Does all music have the same | | | | to Mozart does not appear to be limited to |
| effect or are certain types better in certain | | | | humans either. Apparently cows will produce more |
| circumstances? | | | | milk if Mozart is played. |
| If your goal is to increase your concentration then | | | | |