I can hear music, sweet sweet music (The Beach Boys)

These days our modern classrooms are awash with many different sights and sounds to those that were previously permitted. Music is everywhere!

Which, to my way of thinking, is a very very good thing.

An article I read recently on Medium.com (How music affects your productivity) backs me up on this.

Their basic findings can be boiled down to:

• Music improves your mood so helps with creativity, concentration and productivity.
• A study in the Journal of Consumer Research has shown that a moderate noise level can get creative juices flowing, but the line is easily crossed; loud noises made it incredibly difficult to concentrate. Bellowing basses and screeching synths will do you more harm than good when engaging in deep work.
• A 2015 study found that when it came to sound-masking with ambient noise, “natural” sounds, such as waves at a beach, also improved subjects’ ability to concentrate.
• For low-immersion or physical tasks, music with lyrics can offer huge benefits. But for intensive work, lyrics may erode focus.

The girls in my classes plug in headphones on a regular basis and I would too given the chance.

I find it extremely difficult to work without music. Only rap and other spoken word passages, where my brain forces me to listen to the words, ruin my concentration.

So the next time you're asked if they can listen to music, say "Yes! Of course you can".