Every day, just like clockwork, students eagerly rush out of their classrooms as the school bell rings to indicate the end of another tedious, dreadful class period. Many of these students have the habit of grabbing their AirPods or headphones to listen to their favorite songs, whether they’re rushing to their next class across campus or even when they’re disclosing gossip with their friends in the dead center of hallways. This guaranteed sight seems to have taken the school campus under a chokehold, as music has and always will be a place of relief after strenuous classwork.
Music has held its place as a refuge from the weight of schoolwork, evolving with each generation to move and inspire many globally. For today’s generation, the influence extends far beyond just mere entertainment; it has formed itself to be an aid for learning and personal health.
“I listen during school because it keeps me focused and gives me company during quiet periods or loud lunch days,” Emma Gandara (10) said. “I just want to mask [the day] with tunes I enjoy.”
When students can enjoy music of their choice, it allows them to thrive in the already stressful environment of school. A study conducted by Johns Hopkins Medicine has shown that listening to music has the ability to activate multiple parts of the brain that heighten focus and memory. With music of any genre, these instrumentals are able to calm students down from high stress levels and improve their mental well-being overall, giving the brain what it needs to perform at its best.
“I personally believe a little bit of [music] goes a long way, and listening to music simply lightens up my mood and gets me to enjoy the little parts in my day ever so slightly,” Nikki Sivixay (10) said.
Music can easily transform a late-night study session into a scene of intense, focused textbook flipping and pages of writing. Each tune that arises out of the song aligns with the scribble of the pen or the flick of the highlighter. For visual learners, music actually makes learning engaging and easy to follow, and on the other hand, auditory learners allow for direct attention to the instruments and the lesson simultaneously.
Yet music carries its own shadows as well, as the benefits mentioned don’t necessarily cover everyone. Some of these melodies have the equal power to distract more than they can soothe a student. A catchy song, for instance, could wedge itself between a student from a consequential essay that could affect their essay, with the fun lyrics tangled with the vines of already complicated thoughts.
“Some kids focus differently, and some may just use it as a distraction or a way to just not work,” Italia Marlia-Vazquez (10) said. “But that is the student’s [choice] that they can control.”
Beyond the classroom and the messy desk within the bedroom, the culture of music has made its own presence on campus, with its own side effects. Hallways still echo with conversations from student to student, but always with an earpiece plugged into their ear. Students start to drift past one another, creating their own private space. There isn’t a day in that at least a teacher has to voice their concern with a student constantly being “plugged in” to their devices and disconnected from the outside world.
“I believe that students should be able to listen to music when there are assignments for independent work,” Sivixay said. “However, students can overuse this power, thinking it is acceptable.”
Still, to strip schools of music entirely would dull the culture within students and the campus as a whole. Despite its consequences, music has been the core to pass by everyday life. When used correctly, music has the potential to allow students to reach their goals through cognitive benefits. In the end, music remains the quiet companion of learning, the steady rhythm beneath the chaos of growing up every day.
“The advantage [music] holds with students overall is setting them in a good mood for the school day. School can be tiring and stressful, and music is known to help calm the mind,” Marlia-Vazquez said.
