Welcome Back Black Sheep! I hope all is well and you are well on your journey of growth. It can be quite daunting at times, so for a change of pace, I’ve written this article to help you when times are tough or you just need to take a step back and assess a situation. Lets get started with How Music Enhances Our Creativity! What the Science Says
Creativity is important in virtually all aspects of life, from relationships to businesses, so we are constantly looking for ways to increase this important trait.
While most of these tricks are not supported by science, there are those that are. Music is one thing that has been proven by science again and again to enhance our creativity and help us become more productive. Not only that, listening to music can be very therapeutic. It relieves feelings of anxiety and stress, hence allowing us to concentrate better and remove ourselves from a bad moment.
How Music Enhances Our Creativity
Modern science suggests that each and every one of us has the cognitive ability to come up with original and creative ideas. This concept is commonly known as divergent thinking. Apart from this, we are all capable of choosing from a list of ideas and determining which one is likely to be a success. This is known as convergent thinking. Although everyone has different levels in the various kinds of thinking, we can all become more skillful in being creative thinkers.
Modern science has suggested that individuals who listen to music while performing a task have a higher level of divergent thinking as compared to those who perform the same tasks in silence. Furthermore, those who listen to music are able to produce a longer list of original ideas.
A study by Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany suggests that there is connection between music and creativity, specifically the effect of music on creativity in varying degrees of course. Nevertheless, creativity can be considered one of the key competencies for the twenty-first century. It provides us with the capacity to deal with the opportunities and challenges that are part of our complex and fast-changing world. Just think about it, instinctually, music is stimulating and elicits a response thus noting a higher level of concentration.
Best Music Genres for Creativity
While the best genre may vary from one person to another and it is indeed subjective, there are certain genres that come out on top in scientific studies as being the most helpful in enhancing creativity:
Classical Music
Music by classical composers, e.g. Mozart, Bach, etc. can be beneficial to listen to when you need extra help focusing on your work. Scientific Reports conducted a study where several participants were asked to perform the same task thrice. First couple of times listening to a different genre of music, i.e. classical/modified classical, and third time without any music. As compared to other two instances, participants performed better while listening to Mozart.
Nature Sounds
According to researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, listening to natural sounds can improve your concentration and mood. The sound of flowing water can impact your mood in a positive manner for the entire day. It also tends to be less distracting as compared to other types of music.
Instrumental Music
To some people, music with vocals can be quite distracting, especially when they are performing a complicated task. However, if you need to simply read over a few tasks or answer a few emails, instrumental music can provide a relaxing and calming background noise that boosts creativity and productivity.
Let us not forget, binaural beats that mimics frequencies similar to brain waves which have been shown to improve cognition. This is still fairly new in comparison to many of the studies done, but it has shown very promising results.
Music You Enjoy
A study performed by Dr. Teresa Lesiuk, shows that people perform tasks better when they are listening to the music they enjoy. In her study, Lesiuk asked participants to select the music they wished to listen to and then perform the task. Her research found that participants who listened to their favorite music came up with better ideas and completed their tasks faster.
Overall, any music that can invoke feelings and deep thoughts can be quite impacting.
The type is relative to the individual and situation. Never forget, music can be quite the catalyst to a meaningful life. Whether you’re needing some higher level of introspection or just exercising, music is a good way to start. For some, white noise can be just as powerful. These are just some of the scientific suggestions that music enhances our creativity. Beyond this, there is plethora of research available that discusses the effect of music on our mood, concentration, and productivity.
I hope you found this to be quite inciteful and helpful in your everyday life. Like many of our articles, we write these as tools for you all to achieve a happier, more successful life. Till next time!–The Black Sheep
