The Space Between the Notes: The Effects of Background Music on Student Focus

Student behaviors were tallied in three similar Montessori early childhood classes while children practiced social, motor and academic skills with and without background music. Teacher impressions of work period productivity were tallied along with information from teacher notes and student self-assessments. Music came from Pandora stations such as “Relaxation Radio” or “Yoga Radio. ” Music was selected for slow tempo (approximately 60 beats per minute or the rate of the adult heart) and relaxing instrumental quality, played at a soft volume and during times when students were not expected to pay attention to other auditory input such as stories, songs, lessons or announcements. Results showed that student smiles and productivity increased with background music, as did teacher and student assessments of productivity. Introducing appropriate background music can be a simple way to increase student focus. Further research will confirm if results are similar in classes of younger and older students and in traditional classrooms. Keywords: background music, student focus, productivity, learning, classroom THE EFFECTS OF BACKGROUND MUSIC ON STUDENT FOCUS 3 Music influences us almost everywhere we go. The dentist’s office, the shopping mall, elevators, restaurants and even theme parks use music to set a mood. Research on music in various environments has supported its positive effects on emotions and health. Yet the effect of music in the classroom is still debated. Many agree that music enhances learning. Others believe that music distracts students in the classroom. My research contrasts learning behaviors of young children in similar environments working with and without background music to determine whether or not music in the classroom setting is as inspiring as it can be in the world around us. I observed 61 students in three early childhood classes in a private Montessori school for six weeks. I collected data for 30 minutes in each class once each week during the morning work period. Three observations in each class were done with soft, slow instrumental background music playing and three observations in each class were done with no music playing. The school uses a central music system that plays a variety of Pandora playlists so the music is the same in all classes. The music can be turned on or off in each classroom. Teachers generally keep the music turned on during work period, transitions and lunch time and turn it off during group activities and presentations. This varies by class with individual preference. In a Montessori early childhood classroom the children spend most of the morning practicing with hands-on learning materials, making independent choices and working at their own pace. During observations I collected tallied data on learning behaviors such as, “touching material productively” or “touching material unproductively. ” I collected student responses on their emotional outlook, teacher THE EFFECTS OF BACKGROUND MUSIC ON STUDENT FOCUS 4 responses on their opinion of the success of the work period and teacher notes on positive and negative significant events of the work period. Review of Literature Humans have been making musical instruments for at least 40.000 years (Cornier, 2015). Music has been used for mood regulation purposes since at least the time of the ancient Greeks (Garrido & Davidson, 2013). Many studies documented the positive effect of music on mood and health. Hendon and Bohon (2008) found that music therapy increased the number of smiles in hospitalized children. They compared music therapy with play therapy and found that children appeared to enjoy the music therapy more, as demonstrated by the smiles elicited. Burrai, Micheluzzi and Bugani (2014) exposed cancer patients to live saxophone music and found that the music improved the mood and oxygen saturation of the patients. They recommended the use of live music in oncology care. Studies have also questioned whether or not music increases productivity in the work place. For instance, researchers noted that music affects human behavior and so they exposed factory workers to various types of music. They determined that the type of music used can affect concentration. Music that is either strongly liked or disliked can become a distraction to performance (Huang & Shih, 2011). While the use of music in health care and in the work place can be useful in improving outcomes, the success of music in classrooms has mixed reports. Jancke and Sandmann (2010) stated, “Whether background music influences performance in various tasks is a long-standing issue that has not yet been adequately addressed” (p. 2). They went on to examine studies on the effect of background music on the performing of THE EFFECTS OF BACKGROUND MUSIC ON STUDENT FOCUS 5 academic tasks, with mixed findings. Most of the studies they included showed that background music negatively influenced the academic task. Conversely, other researchers found positive effects in adding background music to a learning environment. Davies (2000) reviewed the literature on the varied use of music in elementary classrooms and concluded that children were productive and less stressed when background music was played in the classroom. If the use of music in health and the work environments is generally accepted as useful, how is it that the same techniques in learning environments have split results? In a Montessori classroom the teacher’s goal is to provide a space of beauty and inspiration (Montessori, 1917). Montessori did not specify the use of music in the classroom, probably because recorded music was not easily accessible in the early part of the 20 century when she was designing schools. But Seldin and Epstein (2006) describe a typical Montessori classroom as, “. bright, warm, and inviting, with an abundance of plants, animals, art, music and books” (p. 33). Finding a clear answer to the question of whether or not background music supports or distracts learning would help all teachers to prepare environments for the optimal use of their students. This review of the literature will examine background music in the classroom, contrasting studies claiming negative and positive effects. The Effects of Music on Learning Negative effects of music on learning. Several researchers concluded that music is distracting in a learning environment. Both of the following studies seem to indicate that fast, loud music is a disruption to the learner’s concentration. In 2009 Dartt conducted research involving 43 preschool aged children who worked with toys, such as THE EFFECTS OF BACKGROUND MUSIC ON STUDENT FOCUS 6 blocks, in a room adjacent to their classroom for five minutes at a time while Mozart’s “Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major” was played. Dartt was seated at the table behind a video camera recording the children’s facial reactions. He observed that preschool aged children paid less attention to the task when Mozart was played in the background. However, the sonata is an energetic, fast-paced piece. A few years later Thompson, Shellenberg and Letnic (2012) examined the effects of tempo and intensity on the reading comprehension of 25 adults. They concluded that music is most likely to be disruptive when it is fast and loud. This suggests that a definition of “background music” that could be useful in a classroom might consider the characteristics of tempo and volume. If fast, loud music is disruptive, could soft, slow music help to set the mood for learning? If the volume and tempo of the music influences learning, what about the type of music? Huang and Shih (2011) found that factory workers did best when they listened to a type of music that they neither strongly liked nor disliked. Langan and Sachs (2013) noted, “It is also necessary to emphasize that background music is intended to be heard but not actively listened to” (p. 4). This suggests that the qualities of the music must be considered so as to introduce a sound that promotes concentration and relaxation rather than attracting attention. Dolegui (2013) administered tests to 32 college students while listening to heavy metal and classical piano music, both of which varied in volume. The test was also given in silence. Performance was significantly lower when either type of music was played at a high volume. Tests scores were significantly higher when the students took the tests in silence. This would suggest that testing is best done in silence. These results suggest that there may be specific learning tasks that could be enhanced with the proper musical setting. THE EFFECTS OF BACKGROUND MUSIC ON STUDENT FOCUS 7 The positive effects of music on learning. Davies (2000) states that listening to music in the classroom engages both sides of the brain, facilitating learning. She points out that electroencephalogram tests show that music alters brain waves which makes the brain more receptive to learning. “Music in the classroom reduces stress, increases productivity, regulates energy, and creates a relaxed, supportive learning environment. Such an environment aids students in learning” (p. 150). Davies discussed using various types of music in various ways and cited an extensive list of authors who support her. If music alters brain waves to prepare the brain for learning, the application of music could be useful in a variety of settings with learners of many ages. Hars, Herrmann, Gold, Rizzoi and Trombetti (2014) administered multitask exercises to 134 adults 65 years and up over a period of six months. These exercises were conducted to the rhythm of piano music. They found that the participants showed increased cognitive function and decreased anxiety when working to music. These researchers introduced music into the existing environment and found that it was not a distraction, but a complement to the seniors’ learning ability