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I love playing music in my room and so often it is so calm. I have had a kid that can't stand it and another that said it made him sad. There will always be those kids. I hear the 60 beats a minute music is best.

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Music for the Classroom - What the Experts Say

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Pianist and composer Gary Lamb is one of America's most popular recording artists of instrumental music. With 12 albums of original compositions to his credit, Gary has charted in the Top Ten with Vangelis, Enya, Yanni and George Winston. His Music For The Mind Series is currently being used in classrooms around the world.

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Music is good for all of us, and all of us love music. When working on individual assignments while the class is quiet, this can help to remove the deafening silence and drive concentration.

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Music and the Brain

Let's start off with the science. Music grabs our attention. Certain kinds of music make us feel more alert. According to Dr. Jonathan Berger, who co-authored a study on the relationship of music to attention and memory, music helps the brain sustain attention. Using functional MRI scans, the same study showed how musical transitions activate working memory.

Music makes the brain more flexible and prepares the nervous system to accept new knowledge. Music also primes the brain to notice auditory patterns. This, in turn, could make students more receptive to grasping information delivered through lectures.

While research on music and the brain is ongoing, many educators are putting melodies and rhyme to use in their classrooms to achieve goals such as classroom organization, curriculum enhancement, and stimulation of student creativity. Let's look at why some educators are singing the praises of music in the classroom.

Schedule and Structure

Brent Vasicek, an award-winning teacher known for his dynamic style, explains how he uses music to manage school day structure. Songs in Vasicek's classroom-or short snippets of them-signal the start of the school day, times of transition from one subject to the next, and when it's time to wrap up for the day.

He has found that students learn to anticipate the end of a repeated sound clip. They are conditioned to stop talking when they know a time of transition is about to end.

To successfully structure your classroom schedule with music, Vasicek emphasizes the following rules:

Consistency

Use the same songs at designated times, such as a repeated theme for starting the day and a different theme for saying goodbye in the afternoon. This habituates your students to associated mindsets and activities.

When they hear their morning theme song, they know it's time to get their brains into gear and start learning. During transition times, short snippets of specific songs prepare your students for a particular attitude and set of actions. At the other end of the musical spectrum, an afternoon theme prompts your students to pack up for the day.

Avoiding Overuse

Music should be used consistently, but not constantly. Silence can signify that it's time for reading or serious classroom discussion.

Using Music with a Purpose

Vasicek believes that music used without a specific purpose in the classroom can be counterproductive. Playing music randomly can be disruptive. When the music in your classroom always serves a purpose, it becomes a powerful and reliable tool.

Avoiding Innuendo

Of course, any music you play in your classroom must be age- and school-appropriate. Some lyrics contain hidden meanings, so make sure you read through them thoroughly to avoid introducing inappropriate content. Vasicek offers dozens of playlist suggestions filled with student-friendly songs. He breaks them down into categories of use, with helpful links to the songs or albums.

Setting the Tone

Music isn't just a tool for creating structure. It can also set the tone in your classroom. For example, you can use peppier music to invigorate students at the start of the day, and more tranquil tunes to calm them when focused attention is needed.

Ambient noise can be a problem in an open-space classroom arrangement, or in schools with thin walls between classrooms. Placid classical music or instrumental music can be used like white noise to block out sound from neighboring classrooms.

Some teachers use music expressly for helping students to concentrate. Avoid lyrical music during study periods or other quiet times, as the singing and words can disrupt focus and pull students away from their learning tasks.

Music and Curriculum

Author and celebrated middle school teacher Heather Wolpert-Gawron gives a few suggestions for integrating music with your curriculum goals:

Introducing Concepts

Whether you teach history, language arts, math, or chemistry, there are probably songs to enrich your curriculum. For example, this song from Schoolhouse Rock can be part of your lesson about nouns. Or you could use this song from Numberock while teaching your elementary-level math students the concepts of positional notation and number value inequality. YouTube has a wealth of educational music videos, which you can search by subject or grade level.

Poetry Set to Music

Your students can analyze song lyrics as a form of poetry. An appropriate contemporary song is a relatable way to capture your students' interest in poetry.

Writing Prompts with a Melody

Wolpert-Gawron recommends using music to stimulate students' imaginations for free writing sessions. Music provides inspiration and spurs creativity.

Music and Morale

Aside from its extensive uses within the curriculum, Wolpert-Gawron also notes that music is good for community-building within the classroom. Music helps create rapport and unity among the students.

It can also build a bond between the students and the teacher playing the music. When you bring your favorite music into the classroom, your students may return the favor by introducing you to some of their best-loved tunes.

In addition, music has been found in various studies to improve empathy, foster trust and cooperation, and strengthen social connections. It can even boost oxytocin levels in the blood. Oxytocin is a hormone and neuropeptide linked to improved social interaction, as well as less stress and anxiety.

Music offers so many benefits, from structuring class time to curriculum enrichment to morale improvement. Why not give music a try in your classroom?

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should i play music in my classroom?  | study.com

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Should I Play Music in my Classroom? | Study.com

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Let's start off with the science. Music grabs our attention. Certain kinds of music make us feel more alert. According to Dr. Jonathan Berger, who co-authored a study on the relationship of music to attention and memory, music helps the brain sustain attention. Using functional MRI scans, the same study showed how musical transitions activate working memory.

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I myself am not one to play music while i'm studying, but for some kids it helps them relieve anxiety so it could be a good stress relief for them.

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I feel as if that would help out some of the students, but what about the student that cant focus or sit steel during class or even when its quite? We just have to consider the other students as well.
But for the students who can sit there and focus, I most definitely think that this will be great for them! It will give them time to relax!

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My students have always responded well to quiet music without lyrics for working. I think it can help with relaxation and focus, and I love what it adds to classroom environment. As with anything, I think balance is key. There are times for music and other times when conversation should be the star.

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Donna Williams: ADHD and music while studying

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Donna Williams: ADHD and music while studying

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Research has shown that music strengths areas of the brain for children with ADHD. Music strengthens the auditory, visual/spatial, and motor cortices of the brain. These areas are tied to speech and language skills, reading, reading comprehension, math, problem-solving, brain organization, focus, and attention challenges. Classical music for about 20 minutes a day can improve speech and language skills, which builds a stronger memory.

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I believe meditation music while students work on assignments could be helpful because I think it would help them relax.

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I think it is a great idea! Set the atmosphere for your little learners.

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This a Video explaining how, I think it can help some children relax in the classroom

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Guided Kriya Yoga Meditation for Health and Healing

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Chakra Cleansing & Activating Guided Meditation

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How to Meditate - Meditation for Beginners - Day 1

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Learn how to meditate if you are a beginners and completely new to meditation. this is day 1 of the 30 day meditation challenge for beginners, and will teach you all the basics of meditation and how to meditate.

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I think mediation can help some kids relax and focus

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I believe that this might be helpful for the students. This would help them focus, and hopefully stay on task through out the day.

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What is your opinion on playing meditation music while students are working on an assignment? 

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What is your opinion on playing meditation music while students are working on an assignment? 