Final Thoughts

After all the research I have collected, I’m sought to believe that music indeed does make people more productive. It encompasses just about every human emotion that could possibly be felt and experienced. It’s one of those rare occurrences that can range from a simple pleasure for the casual listener, to a calling of someone that needs inspiration. While many different things happen within the brain, it’s important to focus on the most easily felt of all - happiness. I’ve noticed that a lot of my posts centered around happiness, which makes me happy that music can shed light on times we need it the most.

So, what seems to be the general consensus?

Pictured above is a poll I asked my Twitter followers. “Does listening to music make you more productive?” 70 votes, 91% said yes and 9% said no. I then received two responses that said that it truly depended on what they were listening to.

As you can see, for two such complex things as music and productivity - there isn’t a simple relationship between the two. It’s a matter of personal preference and truly depends on the individual and what they’re trying to attempt at being productive at.

While this all holds equal amounts of power, we should always keep an open mind.

It’s scientifically proven that music boasts inspiration, but also I’ve realized that putting it alongside productivity can be a very versatile subject. It’s different listening to music when you’re running the mile versus listening to music when you need to do intense studying. Some people enjoy having music on and some people don’t. It could very well be the thing to get us going through the day, or it could be of a nuisance to someone. If music can have such a powerful influence on people’s productivity and wellbeing, would it be wise to plan it plan it around ourselves and make it more adaptable to our different types of lifestyles? If we could use it to our advantage, why would we not try harder?

“When freedom of movement and speech is restricted or withdrawn, the importance and meaning ascribed to music seem to expand.”

Although this may not be for everyone, one thing seems clear: the right to music is the right to freedom and expression.

When we’re presented with the best happiest versions of ourselves, we can achieve just about anything. No one has ever delivered their best work when they’re dealing with emotional baggage. Music brings that out of us. Whether that be cleaning around the house, finishing an assignment, or doing whatever it was that they’ve dreaded for so long, music will be the helping hand.

Photo: totaljobs.com

I hope that my blog was able to change someone’s mind on listening to music. Not just on what you’re listening to, but how you’re listening to it.

At the end of the day, it’s based purely on personal preference.

Even though it may not work for everyone, we should keep an ear out for the ones who need the sounds of silence as well.

Work Cited

Botstein, Leon. “On the Power of Music.” The Musical Quarterly, vol. 88, no. 2, 2005, pp. 163–166. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/4123220.