Music in School Sounds Nice, Right?

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Ella Menin

Listening to music while studying prevents academic-induced anxiety and depression, as well as provides long-term health benefits.

In this day and age, music is a natural and ever-present feature of people’s lives, so much so that it is common to see people with headphones on when doing common chores or tasks. This behavior is especially noticeable in high school students.

Personally, I use music as a calming agent, especially at school. High School is arguably some of the hardest years of schooling, and it can be mentally and emotionally challenging. Hence, I bring my headphones to school every day in order to have the opportunity to breathe, destress, and enjoy some good music.

According to the National Center of Safe Supportive Learning Environments, music can “reduce aggressive behavior and regulate moods, particularly feelings of anxiety and stress. When students are able to manage their emotions in more positive ways, students are able to enhance their learning potential.”

Furthermore, if an individual listens to calming music, his or her heart rate and blood pressure will reduce,  which can lead to relaxed emotions and nerves. Reduction in blood pressure during a stressful day at school for teenagers can make all the difference in the world.

Some teachers and adults may believe that music is a distraction for students, but the pros far outweigh the cons when you consider how healthy music is for the functionality of the brain. In the article “Your Brain on Music”, University of Central Florida professor Yonetani said, “Music may increase neurogenesis in the hippocampus, allowing the production of new neurons and improving memory.”

If students listened to more music throughout the school day, their memory and retainment ability would increase drastically, therefore, causing increased numbers in test scores and grades overall.

If music is not allowed in schools, spikes in anxiety, stress, pain, and possibly even depression will likely occur. These issues in young adults can persist and lead to more significant problems in the future like stagnant high blood pressure levels, strokes, and extreme anxiety and depression.

According to the article “The Epidemic of Anxiety Among Today’s Students”, nearly two-thirds of college students experienced high levels of anxiety, and these numbers are continuing to increase. However, music can possibly limit some of these rising numbers.

Music is an effective calming method for the brain and would benefit students daily in reducing stress, anxiety, and other issues.