Background Music as a positive focus

Therapy is known as a treatment with a goal to help people go through their struggles. Although, there are many ways that therapy is broken down and used. Music Therapy being one of them. Music therapy is a specific branch of therapy aimed to focus on music to clinically relieve stress and accomplish goals therapeutically.  

In Music Therapy, the article, Rachel Darnely-Smith states, “Music is increasingly acknowledged as a medium of therapy – of inspiration, relaxation, motivating and integration.” Just as the basis of music therapy, music can have this much impact on many different people just by improving health and much more. Darnely-Smith also states, “The process that many believe stands at the centre of the music therapy is the development of a therapeutic relation within music that facilitates the therapy.” This just shows that in depth, one has to create a relationship with the music to really dive into all the benefits from it. Darnely-Smith continues to dive more into depth with music therapy, but these points stem from the music itself being a very powerful entity. One creating a relationship can have very beneficial effects and impacts physically, emotionally, mentally, and more skills can be provided. 

Music therapy is not something you typically hear of everyday, although music therapy itself is flexible to all cultures, genders, ages and more. Similar to everyday regular therapy, it is broken down into factors, although music therapy tends to focus on specific parts within the music including the tempo, rhythm, lyrics and more. The profession of a music therapist has become new and relatively popular over the recent decades. Written by Leslie Bunt and Catherine Warner, they stated, “In addition to the international undergraduate and postgraduate trainings available, a growing number of institutions worldwide offer music therapy doctoral studies and support research programs. These developments run in parallel with progress in music therapy assessment and published research, furthering the development of music therapy both as a profession and academic discipline.” Showing that it has even become a part of the education system within colleges and universities. 

This specific type of therapy can be used anywhere, whether it is just someone with anxiety and the music therapy calms them, or music therapy is being used within hospitals or schools. Some schools have even recently started their own music therapy programs such as Brooklyn Music School. They offer many different programs for many different ages targeting different areas of the brain. With some of the younger groups they target developmental and cognitive skills as well as socialization. With the older generation they target focus, memorization, motor skills and more.  The Brooklyn Music School claims they aim for, “In the therapeutic relationship, the emotional, psycho-social, and developmental needs of our clients are considered and addressed in the process of creating music together through mutual and mindful listening, creative inquiry, and self-expression.” The school offers Music Therapy to all to incorporate the use of music in one’s life to connect people as well as maintain good health. 

Music therapy has even been a hit within the medical field. Medical practices even use this type of therapy as an easier way to calm down some patients without running straight to a drug or medication. Shown by many studies through hospitals and patients, music therapy helps patients through their stay in the hospital to calm nerves. In Bellevue General Hospital a research was done within the hospital for those using music therapy. These patients completed questionnaires, which focused on four categories being physical discomfort, affective state, individual response to music therapy and feelings about being in the hospital. The patients would rate certain feelings and responses to the question on a scale of 1 to 5 for each of the different categories. For each there was a pre-session and post-session to get a feel for results. The results were overall positive and in favor of music therapy. Most patients have said that they were less gloomy and sad and more satisfied and cheerful post session. 

Music therapy is not only one who just listens to music and finds relation through that, it can also consist of patients playing a range of instruments. This type of music therapy allows patients to express themselves and really improve their physical, mental, emotion and all different sides to themselves. Although with this type of therapy, it is typically children, as they start young. In Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, they use one of two approaches with these children, “…either as a one-on-one session or in a group setting. Music therapy can help children with communication, attention, motivation, and behavioral problems.” This allows the young generation to start learning these helpful skills early in life, which allows them to adapt easier as they become older. Not only do these skills begin early, it also allows them to also use it as a de-stressor as they get older to relax and use their skills. 

Similar to regular therapy, music therapy is open to all ages and genders. Typically it is seen for the younger audience to allow them to adapt to these skills at a young age. Although it can also be very useful to the older audience to help. In Benefits of Music Participation for Senior Citizens: A Review of the Literature, Lisa Lehmberg writes, “Due to the age of senior citizens, they are more prone to have various health issues…. Compared to the control group with limited arts participation, those who participated in weekly arts programs, including music, showed better health, fewer doctor visits, less medication usage, more positive responses on mental health measures, and more involvement in overall activities.” Showing that the old generation does have these help problems, but through music therapy can improve their health and more as stated above. Although the target is more than just developmental skills because they have lived through that. The goal is a better focus, and a better health improvement. 

Overall, Music Therapy is beneficial to all in various ways such as emotional, physical, skills and much more. It is used in many different settings, such as within a school setting, a medical or hospital setting, a home setting and more.

Music improves our mood, reduces stress, and promotes our overall well-being. Whether intently listening to music while doing a task, or having music play as a comforting background to our everyday activities, we perform better, and feel better, with music than without. Background music, specifically, focuses our attention on the task at hand. 

Something as simple as background music, can really cause work productivity and more focused attention. The brain becoming more stimulated allows for better performance while focusing and completing tasks. Cognitive behavior is known as brain activity, as cognitive is another word for brain or mental put with the behavior that comes from it. Anything that engages the brain would be considered cognitive behavior. By focusing on the idea of background music one can see how that correlates with the focus that results from that of the music influencing the brain.

In The Effect of Background Music on Cognitive Task Performance, written by Yalda Dabiran, the more cognitive function is discussed in comparison to background music specifically. One thing I wanted to point out that Dabiran said is, “According to the results of a study, background music showed its positive effect on the efficiency of the operator while performing a repetitive assembly job. Based on the results for fast repetitive industry tasks, there is a tendency for arousal level to drop off, and a stimulus such as background music can prevent this issue if used close to the end of the efficiency period (Fox and Embrey 1972).”  One thing that Dabiran tends to focus on throughout her essay is the arousal of background music on the brain. This arousal can really cause the cognitive behavior to increase especially the appeal, or arousal, of background music on the brain. Through that Yalda explained that there was a positive outcome which was a greater efficiency that resulted from music being played. Which concludes that music within the workplace allowed for an increase in overall performance, while still getting their objective tasks completed.

There is something known as the “Mozart Effect.” As explained in Dabiran’s essay, “A study indicated that playing Mozart music when taking math tests lead to a significant improvement in students’ test scores.” Instead of focusing on the workplace, the school environment is another place that is very task focus driven. Although Yalda observed that, “Another study investigated the effect of music on brain waves using EEG (Electroencephalogram).” Showing how effective music was on the cognitive aspect of the study. (still two fragments) This shows the correlation between the two, but specifically how one triggers the other’s performance. Ultimately this shows that music improves performance. 

Studying equals the retaining of information such as studying information to take a test.  As stated in Music in the Workplace Environment and Productivity by Kyle Schoenwald, “Most students listen to music while studying, but most often are not allowed to listen to music while taking a test. The results of this study by Lemaire argued that when listening to music, individuals have a more positive effect when it comes to memory of the information.” This overall states that music is proven very effective during studying due to how it helps with memorization. Although these students may not be able to listen to music during a test, the music helps during the studying process. Retaining the information is the most important part of an education so as one studies and listens to the background music, the better one might perform on a test or task that they practiced for. 

Within the same essay, Schoenwald also makes another great point about the following, “If the task requires people to be relaxed and focused, slow music might be more attractive as this slows the heart rate for focus. If the task requires some encouragement, for example a presentation was to be given; this may require more upbeat music.” This was also a very good point made because different genres of music, tempos, lyrics and such can trigger different emotions as well as different parts of the cognitive behavior. This includes as said, slower music might prove more useful with focus as it slows the heart rate. While more upbeat music can create a more energetic wave, it is probably more useful to completion in a creative project setting. This is a key aspect to the levels of background music, which shows that although these different key points to music can alternate different behaviors, the background music is still proven useful in these settings. Especially when the music is a preferred background music as stated by Kiss and Linell in The effect of preferred background music on task-focus in sustained attention, “Preferred background music can enhance task-focused attentional states on a low-demanding sustained-attention task and are compatible with arousal mediating the relationship between background music and task-performance.”

Concluding this topic, background music is very influential to the performance of one task and work. This background music might only be something that is considered minor to just any normal person, but diving deeper into the bigger picture. (Still a fragment) Which is that  the music is proven to be effective in more than one way, when considering the tempo  of the music and preferred music can trigger this function. (Still a fragment) With these many different studies, as well, proving that background music causes focus and an increase in cognitive performance on given various tasks. (Still a fragment) As stated in Kiss and Linnells study,

Importantly, listening to preferred background music was found to increase task-focus and decrease mind-wandering states on a low-demanding sustained-attention task although it did not affect overall RT. The increase in task-focus states provides evidence for music’s ability to improve focused attention and performance—by increasing arousal to an intermediate level optimal for performance—and suggests that people can derive benefit from music listening while performing low-demanding tasks.

Music can range from loud and obnoxious to soft and gentle. There are so many genres from all over the spectrum, and yet it is still a universal language. It can be used in so many instances, but what about when it comes to being labeled as distracting, and some even being labeled as trouble-some or rebellious. Not only are these genres labeled as ‘bad influential’ music, but there is also music that can be labeled as distracting and a focus on something other than what the original task is. The opposition as says, “background music is a distraction to complete school tasks and is less efficient than a student completing their work in silence.”

In relation to completing homework, or tasks in relation to school, multiple opposal claims have been made. Such as, the claim can be made that listening to music is very distracting. Another claim can be that listening to music while completing homework is very distracting to the brain which can cause the task to take longer to complete. These are all just subtopics of the overall ‘Music is a distraction to students when trying to concentrate on completing homework.’

To start off this idea in When music is a distraction, written by Eva Ansen, the claim is made that, “It’s distracting for introverts, and for people learning to drive. It also disrupts reading comprehension — especially if the music is fast and loud. So even though I mentioned yesterday that upbeat music can help people perform spatial reasoning tasks, other studies seem to say that the same kind of music makes it more difficult to do reading comprehension tasks.” Which introduces the topic that different genres of music can create different effects on the productivity of the person. The overall claim that Ansen makes is that music is distracting for people, specifically targeting introverts and music disrupting tasks, especially loud and obnoxious music. 

Through some of these study claims, they believe that although music is distracting to the cognitive function of the brain, music is good for repetitive tasks such as studying or memorizing. The second one has been proven to be true, while the first one can be debated. Another claim, which is stated above, is that this background music depends on what style of music is put on in the background. Which for this claim has been proven. In more detail, certain genres of music have been proved more effective than others. Such as classical music, or r&b have been more effective. Through this, this does not mean that all music is ineffective, it just means that some prove better.

 Which leads into the continuing this idea written in, A Study of the Effect of Music Distraction on Reading Efficiency by Henderson, Crews and Barlow, “Classical music showed no evidence of distraction in either the vocabulary or paragraph sections of the test, nor did the popular music show evidence of distraction upon vocabulary.” Which comes to the conclusion that these two different genres have no correlation as well as proven to not be a distraction during the testing studies. Which has two completely different genres one being a known slower and calmer style and the other being upbeat, both proven favorable. 

Although many of the claims are made, some information backing their claims up, multiple research studies have proven against all of these claims. Not only that, but those who have their own experiences have written in favor of the music, not against it. So in this case music, especially background music, has been proven to be a positive factor to focus and energetic drive to complete work. 

Shutting down all of the claims, multiple studies have been done as well as professionals in those fields understand the positive power of music of the human brain. Through my research, I have seen many sources to be in favor of music in these situations, which have their own research and studies to back their claims over the negative claims. For example, in just one source they have the different sub-categories of how music is helpful for these tasks and other benefits it provides in these situations such as it can cure pain, ease student stress, reduce test anxiety, improve performance, focus more and so on. Although to focus on the one specifically in relation to school performance, starting off with the focus rebuttal written in The Benefits of Studying with Music, “ Rather than distracting college students, a Stanford study found that “music moves [the] brain to pay attention.” Researchers utilized musical compositions from the 1800s in their study and found that “music engages the areas of the brain involved with paying attention, making predictions and updating the event in memory” (Baker).” Showing that music does indeed engage the focus within the brain. The Marking Team also states that, “Music is a way to process emotions and strengthen their resolve with being overwhelmed. People often turn to the music they can relate to as it helps them deal with stress in this way. So, if university life has got you feeling a bit down, dazed or distracted then it might be a good idea to put some music on. Not only will it help you concentrate on your studies, it will also help keep stress at bay and put you in the learning mood.” These quotes, and article is just one that proves in just some words how effective music can be on the brain.

Many oppositions claim music is just as distracting as other instances, while being prove wrong on multiple accounts. Some music is an expectation, so there is always a, but, to these claims due to so many studies proving positive outcomes. Although another key thing to point out is that not these claims are in relation to stress and anxiety, just productivity. If proven to be less productive in one study, it still is not proven that this background music causes stress or anxiety. Just stating less effectiveness, which can be tested against multiple other studies to be the opposite. 

References

A Study of the Effect of Music Distraction on Reading Efficiency. https://www.gwern.net/docs/music-distraction/1945-henderson.pdf. 

🔬🎶, Eva Amsen. “When Music Is a Distraction.” Medium, Medium, 22 June 2018

Team, Marketing. “The Benefits of Studying with Music.” Florida National University, 13 Aug. 2019, https://www.fnu.edu/benefits-studying-music/.  

Bunt, Leslie, and Catherine Warner. “Music Therapy .” Grove Music Online, https://www-oxfordmusiconlinecom.ezproxy.rowan.edu/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-90000361441?rskey=RLdwb4&result=1.

Brooklyn Music School Launches New Music Therapy Program: Tradition of Music Therapy at BMS Dates Back to First World War. https://www.proquest.com/central/docview/2099010351/91B62FD192544E96PQ/1?parentSessionId=dQtYj3NPMy5XHTt6QHfHdhwLqC1l8uq3fb3kVyHgQy8%3D&accountid=13605.

https://web-s-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.rowan.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=656b8190-95e6-409e-a75b-2733129a0d78%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=155432523&db=a9h

“CITESEERX.” CiteSeerX, https://web-s-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.rowan.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=656b8190-95e6-409e-a75b-2733129a0d78%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=155432523&db=a9h.

“Music Therapy.” Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei., https://www1.cgmh.org.tw/intr/intr2/c3390/en/music-therapy.htm.

“Music Therapy.” Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei., 

Lisa J. Lehmberg University of … – College of the Arts. http://cmer.arts.usf.edu/content/articlefiles/3122-meri04pp.19-30.pdf.

Kiss, Luca, and Karina J. Linnell. “The Effect of Preferred Background Music on Task-Focus in Sustained Attention – Psychological Research.” SpringerLink, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 3 Aug. 2020, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00426-020-01400-6. 

Dabiran, Y. (2017). The effect of background music on cognitive task performance (Order No. 10622588). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1988352353). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.rowan.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fdissertations-theses%2Feffect-background-music-on-cognitive-task%2Fdocview%2F1988352353%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D13605   

Schoenwald, K. (2020). Music in the workplace environment and productivity (Order No. 27739886). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2384540781). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.rowan.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fdissertations-theses%2Fmusic-workplace-environment-productivity%2Fdocview%2F2384540781%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D13605