The Classical Introduction Vlog

I am so excited to announce the first episode of the Classical Introduction Vlog! You can either watch the vlog here or on the YouTube channel! Make sure to like and subscribe to the channel and comment some vlog ideas!

If you would rather read than watch, here is a transcript of the video.

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TRASCRIPT:

Hey guys! Welcome to A Classical Introduction, where we explore and learn about the marvelous world of classical music! My name is Katelyn Martinez, and today I'm going to be sharing with you all how listening to classical music has helped me as a college student, and how it can benefit you as well.

Improving Focus:

Classical music has been known to help improve focus. A common theory associated with this is the “Mozart Effect.” As the name implies, listening to Mozart’s music can supposedly help improve brain function. If you look on YouTube or Spotify, there are hundreds and hundreds of playlists of Mozart’s music specifically based off of this theory, but there is really not enough data or studies done to tell for sure that this theory does actually improve brain function, so I wouldn’t consider it fact. However, there have been studies done that have shown that there is a connection between cognition and music. But for me personally, I've found that classical music does a much better job at helping me focus than other genres of music. If I listen to other genres, I’ll likely end up singing along instead of actually doing my work. For that reason, I definitely recommend instrumental classical music. Listening to opera or any other choral arrangement may distract you from your work, especially if you know the language they are singing in. I would also be careful about what volume you play your music at. Playing it too loud, even if it is instrumental, can still be distracting. So, keep it in the background, play it at a soft volume so your brain can focus on the task at hand.

Increasing Motivation: Another area where classical music has helped me personally is motivation. Often when the school day is over, I'm tired both physically and mentally, I've been sitting in lectures all day and my brain is absolutely fried from all of the information that I've gained that day, and I know I need to work because I have assignments due, but all I want to do is change into my pjs, grab some popcorn, watch a movie, and just relax. But listening to classical music I’ve found helps me get motivated to study and do the assignments I actually need to get done. This also kind of ties into classical music’s ability to help the brain focus on something. So when I'm not motivated to work, I typically listen to classical music especially pieces that have a faster tempo. If I listen to slower pieces, for example Claire de Lune, especially when I'm already tired, I'll want to just sit back and relax and take a nap. So, I typically opt for the faster pieces like Vivaldi's Four Seasons, anything really from Mozart, or just anything really from the Classical or Baroque era that has that light and elegant sound and is typically paced a little bit faster than some of the Romantic pieces- and that really helps me focus and be motivated to study and work.

Aiding Relaxation: I also listen to classical music to help me calm down when I’m stressed or anxious, because let’s face it… college life can be really, really stressful! You have a lot of assignments due, you’re having a lot of activities, and just everything all at once can get really stressful, really fast. But when I’m stressed (or when I want to relax and take a nap) I often listen to classical music to help me calm down. Again, I prefer instrumental music, but you may prefer something completely different and that is fine! It is up to you – personal preference! But I prefer instrumental music. Every once in a while I’ll listen to an opera song that I find relaxing – for example I find the Flower Duet really relaxing, it’s beautiful, it’s gorgeous – if you haven’t listened to it I would definitely recommend listening to it - but most of the time my brain focuses too much on the words, even though it is in a completely different language and I don’t know the language at all! My brain focuses on the words and tries to pick them apart to see what they mean and that actually ends up making me a little bit more anxious because I’m trying to figure it out and I don’t know what it is because it’s in a completely different language! So, I typically opt for instrumental music, and instrumental music at a slower tempo as well. I know in the last section we talked about motivation and just how we should listen to the faster tempos just to keep us alert and motivated. But when we’re relaxing, feel free to Claire de Lune and all of your other favorite slow pieces. A lot of Romantic pieces and Impressionistic pieces are a little bit slower and help you really relax. And this has been scientifically proven. Cardiologists have done studies to where they have their patients listen to classical music and the results show that it actually lowered their heart rate and blood pressure. So, if you’re feeling stressed or anxious, pop in your earbuds and listen to some classical music!

Outro:

Thanks for watching the Classical Introduction Vlog! I hope you will start using classical music on a regular basis! If you don’t know where to start, I have some Spotify playlists that I listen to, and I’ll link those down below so you can check those out. But in the meantime, make sure to like and subscribe and click the link down below to check out our blog and podcast! Thanks for watching!

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Here are some websites where you can learn some more about the benefits of listening to classical music:

• The Benefits of Listening to Classical Music for Studying

• Music and Studying: Do They Go Together?

• Can listening to classical music improve your life?

• Listening to classical music has benefits, and more people should listen to it

• 10 Reasons Why Classical Music is a Must-Have in Your Life

• Classical Music Effects on the Brain and Body