Introduction
Somewhere in the middle of the last decade, white noise was presented as the ultimate fix for people who struggle with insomnia. There was a lot of science talk behind the claim and notable support was also coming from people who said they used TV or radio static to go to sleep easier. It appears that there are a lot of different ways in which certain wavelengths influence our body and mind and getting a good night’s sleep is just one of many benefits we can experience from listening to a certain tone.
In this article, however, we’re going to inspect how a string of tones, which we call music, affects our ability to write. We did some research and the information we came up with offers some valid evidence for the applicable value of music in the creative writing process.
The benefits of alpha waves
Our brain emits alpha waves when it’s in a state of relaxation, meditation is one of the ways we can influence our brain to produce more alpha waves and get us into a state of deep relaxation and focus. Numerous studies examined the influence of music on our alpha brain waves and the results showed that certain music can trigger alpha wave response in our brain.
The “Mozart effect” is a known influence of Mozart’s “Sonata for two pianos K.448” on the human brain which includes the calming effect of this composition which allows us to focus on a task much easier and also has a positive effect on our creativity.
Inspiration for student essays and research papers
Finding the strain that will lead you through a topic, especially an enforced topic that you’re not too familiar with, is only as easy as the quality of research material you have. You could look through the essay archive on WritingBros and similar platforms for inspiration but if that’s not enough, you might be surprised how different songs could help you start your creative wheels. Some songs carry views on specific topics such as wars and political conflicts, social injustice, even personal life experiences that could inspire a compelling essay.
For example, the Swedish metal band “Sabaton” plays a vast number of songs that portray events from World War I and II with interesting but little-known pieces of data that could be of help for your research. Iron Maiden’s song “Alexander the Great” showcases the life and conquests of one of the most successful conquerors ever. The list of bands and songs that can be used for research and inspiration grows every day and it would be a shame to waste such a rich pool of useful information.
Avoid listening to songs with lyrics while you write
While the sound of music helps us feel better and at ease, lyrics can distract us and make our work even more difficult. Our brain picks up the words and starts processing them, making it difficult for some people to form their thoughts. Just think about all the times you were trying to talk with your friends, and you just couldn’t get the conversation going because there was a song in the background that kept interfering with your thoughts.
Forming your train of thought whilst listening to some other words is a challenge you don’t need when you’re trying to organize your writing process, especially if you’re on a tight deadline. YouTube and other similar platforms offer a wide array of instrumentals and ambient sounds that you can use as background to your writing process, find those that suit your sensibility, and create a playlist that you can use when you need to relax and write.
Help with relieving essay deadline pressure
Music has a strong psychological influence that we can harness to relieve the pressure of an upcoming deadline. A lot of students and professional writers experience anxiety issues when a deadline approaches which leads to writer’s block. At this point, digging for more free essay examples by Samplius and similar platforms can help with inspiration but if that doesn’t ease the tension then music is a good way to deal with stress. Playing some soothing classical music or instrumentals can stimulate our dopamine receptors and make us feel good and at ease.
It’s important to state that there’s not a specific playlist or music genre that you can listen to remove the pressure, the choice is entirely up to each individual. Some people feel most at ease while listening to Mozart, others prefer jazz instrumentals, but the point is to get the dopamine flowing through your system so you can relax and focus on your task.
Headphones or Speakers – which is better?
When it comes to how you should listen to music that helps you write, there’s a study that analyzed the effects of music played through headphones and speakers that showed some interesting results. A group of scientists at the University of Oslo conducted a series of experiments and came up with results that showed that both headphones and speakers had the same psychological effect on the participants. However, among numerous findings, Norwegian experts also found that headphones were more tiresome, the experiment participants were able to listen to music through speakers longer with less effort.
Since writing is a creative process that requires our full attention and optimal working conditions, it’s better if you play music through speakers, however, if you feel better with headphones on – don’t hesitate to use them regardless.
Conclusion
Whether or not listening to Mozart makes you smarter is argumentative, however, the positive effects of some types of music on our creative and cognitive abilities are undisputed. This doesn’t mean that you should play classical music if it doesn’t suit your taste, play the tunes that help you focus and find inspiration. Furthermore, there are songs you can use for research and information which is also a way to enhance your writing process. Hope this article will help you find the frequency that benefits your workflow the most.
Author Bio:
Joshua Robinson is a freelance writer engaged with several online publishers. His work is based on actionable pieces of advice that readers can use in their everyday lives. Joshua uses the most relevant data based on authentic and relevant sources that benefit his audience.
