Does Classical Music Make You Smarter? Is that true?
The Mozart effect is a term used to describe how listening to classical music can improve cognitive performance.
In 1993, scientists at the University of Southern California published research showing that people who listened to classical music performed better on tests of spatial reasoning compared to those who did not.
Since then, many studies have been conducted to see whether there are similar effects across different types of music, including pop songs, jazz, and rock. Some studies have shown that listening to certain kinds of music can lead to improved memory recall, but most researchers believe that it is the act of being exposed to music itself that leads to improvements in cognition.
Researchers found that workers not only performed better on tasks, but calming nature sounds also had a restorative effect on cognitive abilities.
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Does Classical Music Make You Smarter?
The results of a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Graz in Austria have proved to be controversial. They found that listening to classical music could enhance spatial reasoning skills. In fact, those who listened to Mozart performed better than those who didn’t.
But most critics argue that the ‘Mozart Effect’ is due to ‘enjoyment arousal’, in other words, the subject’s enhanced spatial reasoning was down purely to their enjoyment and appreciation for the music.
So what did the researchers actually find out?
They recruited 60 volunteers aged 18 to 30, half of whom were given a CD of classical music while the others were left quiet. After 15 minutes of listening, each participant took part in a test designed to measure their spatial reasoning ability.
Results showed that those who listened to music performed better than those who hadn’t. Those who listened to Mozart, however, performed even better.
In fact, the researchers suggest that the basic activity of simply listening to music activates parts of the brain which are involved with spatial thinking – in which case, the results might be more accurately described as the ‘general music effect’.
Women now outnumber men in the New York Philharmonic, for the first time ever
The New York Philharmonic Orchestra announced Monday that it had hired its first female conductor, Marin Alsop, becoming the first major American orchestra to hire a woman as music director. Ms. Alsop, 52, will start her tenure next season, conducting concerts beginning in September. She will lead the orchestra during its annual residency at Carnegie Hall, where she will conduct three performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.
Ms. Alsop is one of the most respected musicians in classical music today. She has conducted orchestras around the world, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops Orchestra. In addition, she serves as principal guest conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra.
She is known for her work with young artists, having led the Juilliard String Quartet since 2002. Her recordings include works by Mozart, Schubert, Brahms and Tchaikovsky.
Does Classical Music Make You Smarter: 10 pieces of classical music that will 100% change your life
The best way to learn about classical music is to listen to it. And what better place to start than with 10 pieces of classical music that are guaranteed to change your life?
1. Beethoven – Symphony No. 5 in D Major “Pastoral”.
2. Mozart – Piano Concerto No. 12 in B Flat Major KV 466.
3. Chopin – Nocturne Opus 27 No. 2 in E Minor.
4. Brahms – Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Major.
5. Schubert – String Quintet in A Major D 992.
6. Bach – Toccata and Fugue No. 13 in F Major BWV 565.
7. Debussy – La Mer.
8. Handel – Water Music Suite.
9. Vivaldi – The Four Seasons.
10. Wagner – Ride of the Valkyries from Die Walkure.
The first was the Mozart sonata at the top of this page, the second was a verbal relaxation recording, and the third was silence.
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