With the research on Mozart's music being in a maelstrom, since the culture changing 1993 study by Frances Rauscher et al. titled Music and Spatial Task Performance: A Causal Relationship, here is the myth, facts and empirical points to be aware of when leveraging Mozart for productivity.
Myth:
Music by Mozart makes you and/or your baby instantly “smarter”. Smarter here meaning an increase in your overall IQ. Although several studies have shown to improve test scores, the increase is short lived and could be had with several other genres/artists as shown by opposing studies as well. Including rock, pop and other mood enhancing favorites.
The Mozart Effect theory was debunked years ago with subsequent studies showing that listening to music does not actually make you smarter, but may raise your level of enjoyment and decrease your feelings of stress, leading to slightly improved levels of focus.
Lastly, when peer-reviewed studies have reported an effect, the cognitive enhancement was mild at best. On average the “Mozart Effect” lasted 10 to 20 minutes after listening to Mozart’s Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major (K 448), however was not found to be the case in several studies.
The Benefits:
Although the effects of Mozart’s music have been sensationalized, through media and works like The Mozart Effect: Tapping the Power of Music to Heal the Body, Strengthen the Mind, and Unlock the Creative Spirit, it doesn’t mean there aren’t beneficial points to be reaped.
Leading us to the facts around not just Mozart's music, but music in general.
Fact #1: Slight increase in Memory, Spatial Intelligence and Concentration
With studies showing that background music can improve your episodic memory , semantic memory, processing speed and spatial intelligence , there are a slew of cognitive benefits listening to background music may have on us.
Research suggests that background music needs to be free of lyrics in order to promote productivity. Other studies say simply that whether music aids in concentrating depends on how much a person likes or dislikes the music.
Fact #2: Improve short term memory
In a study with 84 participants (56 females, 28 males), done by London Metropolitan University, two groups were shown 60 words on a screen and asked to remember the words as best as possible. Directly after, they would hear either Mozart, Mahler or silence. Lastly they’d take a minute to reflect before being tested on which words they remembered.
The group that listened to Mozart’s Nachtmusik remembered 50.96% of the words correctly, the group in silence remembered 47.2% correctly and the Mahler group, listening to Adagietto, remembered 39.89% correctly.
Prompting the belief that Mozart’s and Mahler’s music have an enhancing or degrading effect on short term word memory.
Keep in mind the sample size was very small and didn’t have a sex balanced sample. So although these findings are hopeful for those of us that wish to improve our short term memory rather quickly, we should remember that these studies still have some ways to go.
Fact #3: Enhance Memories
Given that emotions enhance memory processes and music evokes strong emotions (Jäncke, 2008), findings highlight the possibility that any type of background music can facilitate memory performance.
An explanation is that music activates the limbic system, which is involved in processing the emotions and in controlling memory (e.g., Blood et al., 1999). Evidence supporting this come from those studies using therapeutic music to enhance memory in Alzheimer’s patients by provoking emotional responses (e.g., El Haj et al., 2012).
Fact #4: Aid in sleep
Music can be used to help reduce sympathetic nervous system activity, decrease anxiety, blood pressure, heart and respiratory rate and may have positive effects on sleep via muscle relaxation and distraction from thoughts
Read this article to find out how.
Empirical points
It doesn’t take a scientific study for us to realize the immediate as well as long lasting effects music has on our daily lives.
We brush our teeth to it, quote passages from it, have lines stuck in our heads from it and even go to concerts for it.
From meditation music in the morning, beloved pop playlists in the afternoon, to soothing songs in the evening. We understand intuitively over time what works best for us and what songs, if any, have us at our most productive.
Songs with slower beats per minute (bpm) usually relax us, while the inverse is true for songs with faster bpm.
Summary
Listening to Mozart will not make you a genius or increase your IQ, but it will have a calming effect on you that lasts roughly 10-20 minutes after listening. The same could roughly be said for other songs we find relaxing too.
Background music, of other genres in addition to classical, may help bolster our memory.
Short term memory is slightly enhanced when listening to Mozart, when the other options are silence and Mahler.
Background music can enhance the memories of Alzheimer’s patients by provoking emotional responses.
Music, when played properly may aid in our sleep.
Depending how and where you listen, music could definitely be useful for focusing on the task at hand or when more motivation and less stress are needed.
Lastly, the maestro of music has definitely given us a lot to be grateful for, as the library of conciertos, sonatas and masterpieces left by him are enough to study and work to for lifetimes.
As a thank you to you, for reading this article, here is a playlist dedicated to Mozart and the other great artists throughout history.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
Written by: Get Sharp Coaching
Find us at: https://getsharpcoaching.com/
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