The first time I recall the music/productivity connection being mentioned, specifically as a tool to assist in studying, was back when I was in high school. I can still picture the stack of Enya and movie soundtrack CDs sitting beside my portable CD player. Funny thing is, I still have those CDs and I still listen to them when I want to finish difficult tasks.
It’s not just me, either. In my stints in event management over the years – through festivals, conferences, fancy breakfasts, etc – most of my colleagues would reach a point when they plugged in their earphones to just get stuck in to the work. Writing running sheets, speeches, general content, proofing, editing, envelope-stuffing. You name it, I’ve done it. If you’re looking for producivity help, or even a shot of morale, here are my tips.
1. Find what works for you.
Baroque music is generally agreed to be one of the best kinds to assist productivity – this lifehacker piece explains why. I listened to a lot of it in high school. I prefer dynamic and dramatic music, but it really doesn’t help when I need to concentrate, so that puts a lot of Tchaikovsky – for example – out. Beethoven is my favourite, so he’s my first classical choice nowadays. When I really need to push through, something up tempo (dance tracks etc) helps. Not pop music, as I sing along and get distracted.
Tips: hit your library. Listen to new artists and musicians.
2. Love it? Loop it!
I have to thank my friend Sam for putting me on to InfiniteLooper – a site that loops YouTube clips, replaying your selection, thus keeping your momentum going!
3. It doesn’t necessarily need to be music.
Working solo, as I do, I sometimes get to a point when I might listen to a YouTube channel just to have the background chatter of voices. Not quite white noise, not music, it still helps me. It’s also been interesting to discover which YouTube presenters/channel hosts I like – and which ones really grate on me! I like to listen to Kris Carr (particularly as I’m trying to learn more about food and health).
4. Think ‘outside the box’
I’ve tried whale sounds (a bit sporadic and phonic), storms, white noise (here’s 10 hours of it!) or digital radio stations – I have SBS Chill on a lot and really enjoy it.
5. Listen to recommendations
I’m the first to admit my musical tastes have traditionally not gone far beyond what commercial radio stations play. I only realised this once I moved to Melbourne, funnily enough. Once I started becoming friends with more writers and artists, hearing what they were listening to, I was quite abashed. I needed schooling! Literary journal The Lifted Brow has some amazing mixtape offerings on Mixcloud, well worth checking out.
And, hey, if you still don’t believe that music can assist productivity, it’s even in The Big Bang Theory.
What kind of music do you listen to when you’re working?
