In short, absolutely music can help you study... but it has to be the right music for the right subject. It also doesn't escape us that we are biased, but hear us out. There is a lot of research out that has shown that music can help you focus, concentrate, relax, feel motivated, improve memory and maybe even make the process more enjoyable. We don't need to study the research to know that it helps because we experience it's benefits every day, first hand.
There is a lot of admin involved with running a label and a great deal of tasks that require some serious brain power, creatively and analytically. We constantly have all kinds of music on rotation in the Poco Poco Records HQ but for this kind of task you need the right kind of tunes.
What should I be looking for in my music selection?
The music needs to be able to do the following:
1) Relax You
The more relaxed you are, the better your brain will function and the longer you can stick at a task without getting completely bored.
2) Focus Your Mind
If you've landed on the right tunes you should be able to zone out the outside world (cars, doors banging, talking etc) and focus in on your own thoughts. If you find your mind is getting pulled into the music or the lyrics, or that phat beat - you've got the wrong vibe.
3) Information Retention
One of the main goals here is surely to remember what you've learned, otherwise what is the point? Do you find yourself reading the same line over and over and not absorbing it? Your mind is wandering because you know the world is full of exciting things that you want to be a part of. You've got fomo-brain my friend and the potential remedy is music. With the right tunes you could reach a near-meditation-zen-like-level of concentration reserved for Tibetan monks... they've been using singing bowls and chants to focus their minds for 100 of years, maybe they're onto something.
What Music Can Help You Study?
Top 10 Music Recommendations.
You've probably heard of Spotify's 'Peaceful Piano' playlist or Max Richters 'From Sleep' album... both great places to start but we'd like to introduce you to some lesser known mind-expanding music that you might not have heard of.
We Sustain by Muvii Mento
Flutter by Kara-Lis Coverdale
Improv 10 - One Last Thought by The Daydream Club
EveryWhen - Bonus Track by Hammock
We Love by Muvii Mento
Chasing Tomorrow by A. J. Pickering
Borders (feat. Sinemis) by James Heather
Home From Home - Remix by The Daydream Club
Below by Lapalux
We Sleep But Fail To Dream by The Daydream Club
Ambient Focus Playlist
You can find all of these tracks and more on our Ambient Focus Playlist on Spotify. This is our own go to playlist that we've been adding to for years, initially just for ourselves to help us get work done but more recently we've shared it with the world because it's brilliant.
