BENGALURU: Parenthood comes with many gifts: I confidently carry large Lego sets in public that my child will most definitely not be building, and the only person with more access to cake than me is the baker of said cake. I also get to re-experience things that I thought were safely left behind in my past, like the knowledge that exam season will soon be upon us.
As streaming apps make up fancy “study” playlists and you have yet another passionate debate about whether Bach can make you a genius overnight or Billie Eilish has a better shot, here are some reasons why music (playing in the background or playing an active role in your life) is a good idea this season. It makes stress management easier: I found an interesting piece of research – rap helps your brain manage the exam stress better. Academicians say it’s because of the uplifting effect it has on the brain. My theory is that listening to rap transfers the stress: from your upcoming exams to endless questioning about how many outtakes it needed for the rapper to get out all the words without fumbling. Or how much saliva was sprayed on the mic.
Music is exercise for your brain: It’s not just about the upcoming exam, it’s about keeping your mind healthy for life. And keeping music an active part of your day is like doing regular stretches or spot jogs. Am I doing these fitness metaphors right? It helps you remember things: Why else would I remember every single episode of Tom and Jerry so many centuries later? Setting some of your study material to musical patterns helps you recall it more smoothly.
This goes without saying, but you don’t have to have music playing in the background. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the perfect study companion for everyone. But if you want a little something in the background, every kind of music plays its part in making the study session more productive and fun. There’s even a playlist generator that you can listen to with your pet. Time to turn up the meow-sic, right? (Having a cat means cheesy cat puns. I don’t make the rules.) So go ahead and plug in your earphones. Whether it’s for your upcoming exams or to drown out the terrible study playlist your neighbour’s kid has put together. The author is a singer, songwriter, educator and social entrepreneur.