The Versatility of Classical Music
Table of Contents
- Classical Music for Studying
- Classical Music for Sleep
- Classical Music for Kids
- Teaching and Learning Classical Music
Introduction
Classical music inspires and challenges musicians of all ages, and even non-musicians can sense the power of compositions that are, in some cases, hundreds of years old. These works, whether stately or exuberant, soothing or invigorating, can provide remarkable benefits beyond just pleasure in the artistry of the composition.
Listening to classical music can either boost productivity or bring serenity of spirit and mind, while playing an instrument can increase your cognitive and physical abilities. How can something so elegant have such a profound impact on the human experience? Read on to learn how classical music can improve your mind and increase your joy.
Classical Music For Studying
Why Classical Music Is Proven To Help With Concentration
According to a study conducted in Edinborough, Scotland, children who learned to enjoy Western classical music developed better listening and concentration skills. Exposure to classical music, especially at younger ages, encourages children to explore a more diverse array of musical styles throughout their lives, and supports a more enthusiastic connection to, and appreciation for, all music.
Music Helps Improve Motivation, Memory and Brain Stimulation
Music elevates mental alertness and concentration, even for listeners untrained in music. Research indicates that the brain responds with heightened stimulation to the small breaks between movements in symphonies. This increased attention indicates that human brains intuitively recognize the structure of musical compositions, even without formal training in music.
Additional evidence shows that music played during academic lectures increases student motivation and attention to the course material, leading to more productive studying later. Classical music also assists in the interpretation and retention of new information.
Similarly, listening to music activates the reward centers in the brain, so that music acts as a motivation to work hard between study breaks; students then experience the music itself as a reward. Since classical music for studying offers significant boosts to memory and perceived productivity, listening to it while studying supports cognitive processing and improved knowledge retention.
Classical Music Is Best for Studying
Instrumental music without lyrics often presents less of a distraction than a favorite playlist of popular songs. Baroque classical music tends to offer particular benefits, but any slower classical music played at a low volume may aid in focus during study sessions.
Less is more when it comes to which classical music to enjoy while studying. Students should choose classical pieces with a softer mood and fewer dramatic swings in dynamics from forte to piano, or vice-versa. Concertos and chamber music furnish a nice background for studying, particularly strings or lutes.
Classical Music Can Reduce Stress
Works from composers such as Mozart, Bach, and Brahms can reduce stress, usually measured as increased blood pressure. Although classical music heightens the emotions of the audience, research shows reduced blood pressure in study participants who listened to classical, rather than pop or jazz music. Some scientists argue that the tempo of classical music resembles that of the human heartbeat, alleviating depression and anxiety.
It is interesting to note that classical music composed in a major key, which often evokes happiness, is most appropriate for stress reduction. In contrast, pieces in a minor key may lead to significant changes in stress levels. In the heightened emotional state that music causes, sad classical music in a minor key may overly emphasize negative emotions.
Classical Music For Sleep
Why Classical Music Is Good for Sleep
Racing thoughts and a brain that won’t “turn off” can impede your ability to quiet the body into a restful state for falling asleep. Classical works replace anxious thoughts with balanced musical phrases and simple diatonic harmonies. Some research has even found that classical music can promote pain relief, increasing sleep onset speed and quality.
Classical Music and Physical Relaxation
Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, the Moonlight Sonata, shines as an example of classical music for relaxation. The piece begins at pianissimo, and only reaches piano at its loudest point. The homophonic texture – melody and accompaniment – is soothing, and perfect for settling the body and the mind.
One study evaluated the sleep of a group who listened to classical music, another group who listened to an audiobook, and a third who listened to nothing. The researchers found that the classical group experienced significantly higher-quality sleep than the others.
Choosing the Right Songs / Composers
When selecting classical works and composers that will encourage restfulness, the music’s dynamics and complexity are paramount. For instance, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture is not a piece that will facilitate serenity, as the dynamics range from whispers to dramatic cannon booms. These pieces, while thrilling and virtuosic, are not relaxing classical music:
- Ride of the Valkyries, by Richard Wagner
- Toccata and Fugue, by J.S. Bach
- Flight of the Bumblebee, by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Classical pieces with a tempo of 60 to 80 beats per minute foster slower breathing and a more comfortable physical state. Listening to classical music for reading might be beneficial, especially softer, less-complex pieces that won’t be distracting.
Composers such as Händel and Bach provide numerous options for calming classical music at bedtime.
Mozart also composed many soothing classical pieces, and Brahms wrote some of the most tranquil and recognizable melodies of the Romantic period. Debussy’s Clair de Lune is an especially lovely example of gentle music that is both restful and pleasing to the ear.
Classical Music For Kids
Emotional Benefits of Classical Music for Kids
A recent study conducted by the charity Apollo Music Project learned that children attending a live classical music concert experienced feelings of serenity and concentration. The emotional effects were not dependent on the mood of the music performed; the children felt calm after the performance, and teachers also reported signs of listening behaviors.
A significant number of children in the study, 68%, felt inspired to learn to play an instrument after experiencing classical music in a live performance setting. The intensive listening practices the children use during the concert music correlate with improvements in their overall emotional well-being.
Effects of Classical Music on a Child’s Brain
Doctors recommend that mothers play classical music for their babies in utero, as many studies demonstrate the calming power of classical music. Mothers can reduce their stress while potentially soothing their children. Babies sleep more peacefully while quiet classical works play in the background of their nurseries.
The experience of listening to music triggers the release of dopamine and serotonin into the brain, increasing both joy and calm. Similarly, listening to classical compositions stimulates a “creative mindset” when practicing other forms of art, such as drawing.
An increase in brain-wave activity has been recorded in people listening to classical music, which indicates that classical music can also enhance memory. Children can listen to classical works while working on memorization drills or preparing a speech. The same music can later serve as a memory trigger when they need to recall information.
Effects of Playing Classical Music for Kids
Playing an instrument requires the work of both hemispheres of the brain, which means that learning to play also improves kids’ fine motor skills. The left hemisphere, the mathematical and linguistic center, combines with the ingenuity of the right hemisphere to increase the activity in, and size of, the connection between the two halves: the corpus callosum. The strengthened connection increases the speed and diversity of neural pathways, making musicians more creative and effective problem-solvers.
Lessons in classical music for kids can have remarkable effects, even at the preschool level. A study in the 1990s suggested that preschool-aged piano students who engaged in once-weekly lessons presented a 34% improvement in spatial reasoning. Although later studies demonstrated that the effect only lasted 10 to 15 minutes, the so-called “Mozart Effect” seems to have some validity, at least as a starting point.
The sustained effort of musical training offers incredible rewards to classical musicians who persevere through the challenges of learning an instrument. Those benefits can be tangible, such as an ovation after a solo recital or orchestral performance, or the reward might be personal, in the sudden delight of a new piece played perfectly for the first time.
Teaching and Learning Classical Music
Benefits of Teaching and Learning Classical Music
The exploration and experience of music should begin early in a child’s development. Numerous studies have elaborated upon and validated the idea that learning classical music, that wonderful “second language” of page and sound, goes beyond mere entertainment in terms of its value to the human mind and spirit. Reasoning, language, mathematics and fine motor skills are the most quantifiable results of musical training. Additional work in musical ensembles advances “soft skills” such as collaboration, problem-solving, cooperation and creativity.
Reasons To Learn Classical Music
Teaching Classical Music Passes on the History of Humanity to the Next Generation
Music is the language of humanity and acts as the bridge between the present and the past. Classical composers wrote within the context of their times. Thus, through this music, listeners find connections with the musicians and the people of those times.
Learning the history of the composer’s lives, too, can forge connections between musicians now and then. The struggles and victories of creating and playing music are unique to that art, so learning about the masters can feel like joining a community.
The Study of Classical Music Is the Building Block for Understanding Other Genres
Classical music is the basis of most modern music, the essential building block of technique, instrumentation and inspiration. Listening to and playing classical works establishes a foundation of skills that learners can transfer to other genres and styles.
Learning Classical Music Helps Develop Your Physical Prowess Behind an Instrument and Mastery of Techniques
The dexterity and manual control required by classical pieces improve fine motor skills and, with practice, elevate your technique towards full mastery of the instrument. This practice is transferable to other instruments, too; increased skill on one instrument leads to more efficient mastery of additional ones.
Music Theory Is on Full Display In Classical Music
Music theory examines the interactions of rhythm, melody, harmony, scales and chords, and applied music theory refers to the process of learning these concepts alongside the practice of learning the music. Classical music is fertile ground for the cultivation of this practical approach because the compositions are abundant with the various elements of music theory. By the same token, a sound background in music theory empowers musicians to composer their own works.
Learning Classical Music Opens Up Gigs and Opportunities for Performing in Public
Classical training ensures a deep repertoire of impressive musical pieces and a wide array of technical skills. The practice of learning classical music also increases sight-reading ability, which means cold auditions are less intimidating. As a result, experienced classical musicians have the qualifications and confidence to earn a variety of gigs and performance opportunities.
Closing Thoughts
Classical music helps listeners study more effectively, sleep more soundly and think more clearly. Children listening to works in the classical genre show evidence of greater focus and motivation, and stronger problem-solving skills in math and language. Learning to play classical music on an instrument encourages the development of self-discipline and goal-setting, in addition to the benefits of mastery of an artistic skill.
Browse thousands of officially licensed digital sheet music and guitar tablatures at Musicnotes.com and discover classical music that you can learn to play and enjoy, no matter your current musical level.
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