It’s a common sight: a student hunched over a project with ear-buds in, getting in the zone to work on their school assignments. Just from a glance, it’s easy to tell that the student is in a world of their own, oblivious to their surroundings. Getting lost in music is one method that students use to get creative.
But what exactly makes listening to music so stimulating to the creative process? Neil Mikels, a second-year television production major, said, “Music inspires me and it helps me get ideas when I work. It definitely is a large help when writing.” Music helps with shutting out the world while allowing students to devote themselves entirely to their work. It can help to set a mood or tone and can help promote creative thinking. “Music opens up doors in the mind,” Adam Crow, second-year writing major, said.
Other students prefer having background music as a motivator to keep the creative energy flowing. Nathaniel Hearns, second-year animation major, said, “I find that music works really well for me as a background-filler. Since I’ve played video games nearly all of my life, I’m sort of used to have a tune playing as I get to the goal. With that said, I really can’t get into my work when it’s eerily silent, so I look for a track to help me get moving on my work.”
Everyone has his or her own taste in music. Different people find different types of music more beneficial to their creative thought process. Mikels, for instance, prefers alternative rock. He said, “… it isn’t too intrusive or obnoxious. Because of this, I find it easy to work with.” Crow said that he listens to, “folk music for the stories, rock ’n’ roll for the sounds, and punk for the attitude.” Something that’s not too jarring or distracting, it seems, is ideal when choosing music to listen to while working. Hearns appreciates the variety of music that he finds in video game tracks. “It can range from the classic chiptune themes of old, to the grand, orchestral pieces of the modern era. Secondly, songs can range from various moods and styles, since each track has to fulfill a specific scene or event,” he said. Within each type of music there are variations of songs that can help set a tone for a project and stimulate creativity. It just depends on the project and the feel of the piece that’s being worked on.
It seems it doesn’t matter what type of music a student listens to so long as it works to get them in the zone to be creative. Having something to fill the silence goes a long way to helping a student stay focused and block out distractions, allowing them to enter a world that’s only them and their work.
