How Music Helps Us Learn
Music is a soothing experience that calms and brings happiness to the listener. The right tempo and rhythm have several additional benefits to brain functioning. Even children as young as one display better retention and language development when aided by nursery rhymes. The tune and repetitive lyrics of nursery rhymes grab the attention of children and enable them to memorise information quickly. Learning is thus facilitated in an enjoyable way. Music enables the child to distinguish between sounds and understand the patterns of language thereby honing their phonetic skills and awareness. Research shows that children, who are able to learn eight nursery rhymes by the age of 4, are likely to be confident readers. Children may develop a confident personality because they enjoy themselves while singing and may break into dance without being conscious of what others think.
Growing evidence suggests that the same brain structures are responsible for music and language processing. Words are thus recalled more accurately when learned as a song as compared to a speech. Music appeals to several parts of each side of the brain and strengthens the brain’s ability to complete non-musical tasks. Studies have shown that soft fast background music positively influences learning outcomes, particularly students with learning disabilities. The Mozart effect has been found to influence individuals’ cognitive abilities positively. Husain et al (2002) propose the arousal-mood hypothesis which suggests that the arousal or physical activation in individuals listening to music influences learning outcomes. An optimal level of arousal encourages individuals to invest in cognitive resources in the learning process. Another approach suggests that music uplifts an individual’s mood which in turn influences learning.
The relaxing effect of music has been found to reduce anxiety levels of students who are preparing for examinations. By providing emotional support during stressful times, music creates a peaceful learning environment for the listener. However, there exists contrasting evidence for the influence of background music on learning the outcome. Several researchers argue that background music adversely affects working memory which is limited and can store only 3–4 chunks of information. Cowan (1999) argues that dissimilar content and modality of information is easier to process simultaneously. Instrumental music would thus be less disruptive in the learning process than a song with lyrics. Listening to background music utilises cognitive resources which hinders learning to some extent nonetheless.
Several benefits of music in the learning process have been explored. However, research shows that personality traits also influence the effect of music on learning. Extroverts are more likely to benefit from background music while introverts who prefer their own silent space will be disrupted. Another important factor is the individual’s music preference, which is found to be more effective than neutral music on learning outcomes. Children could thus experiment with music to identify if it suits their learning style.
Written by: Devika Bharany, TEGS
