Music for the Classroom and Home

Students are struggling to succeed in classrooms, and Advanced Brain Technologies has a proven collection of music that has been shown to help. Distracting noises and sounds can have deleterious effects on students and teachers’ nervous systems and well-being. They must work hard to “tune out” extraneous sounds in order to focus on learning and studying.

Sound Health creates a better classroom environment, by enhancing mental function and to serve as a shield against sound pollution. One of the objectives in creating these masterful classical recordings was to complement specific educational activities, employing extensive scientific research and clinical study to achieve its intended effect.

The Sound Health recordings provide a consistent, high-quality therapeutic auditory environment. The music was specifically rearranged and recorded to eliminate the drama and changes of mood and tempo that capture the beauty of the music without the distractions. Sound Health can be played day to day in the classroom, home or other settings with consistently good results. Pieces were selected that were rich in therapeutic tonal harmonics; music that would stimulate the brain through its structure as well as through a broad spectrum of frequencies. The tempo, or beats per minute (bpm), were also carefully considered for each title.

The following albums are available in the Sound Health Series as digital downloads or CDs. Each album page provides a listening sample.

Music to De-Stress
(30-60 bpm)

Music to Relax
(40-60 bpm)

Music for Concentration
(50-60 bpm)

Music for Thinking
(50-60 bpm)

Music for Learning
(50-60 bpm)

Music for Inspiration
(60-90 bpm)

Maximum Focus
(50-70 bpm)

Music for Productivity
(70-130 bpm)

Peak Performance
(90-150 bpm)

Music for Motivation
(120-140 bpm)

To learn how music from Sound Health would change the experience in the classroom, we provided albums to multiple schools and asked for teachers’ comments. Teachers used Music for Concentration and Music for Thinking, which have the 50-60 bpm range, and Music to De-Stress, with 30-60 bpm.

Teachers at several schools provided positive outcomes, and comments about their experiences with Sound Health, which we will highlight:At an elementary school in Grovetown, Georgia, both teachers and students benefitted from quieter, more orderly students, said Principal Jonny Carr. “Our teachers love the music.”

Teachers who used Music for Concentration in their classrooms during thinking and working activities, reported: “Very effective in helping children settle down quietly.”

Kindergarten teachers found that Music to De-Stress was very effective during rest and naptime and shared that “More children went to sleep during rest time when listening to De-Stress.”

Two teachers of Grade 3 classrooms used the music during independent work sessions. They reported, “Calming, students more focused, appears to be more concentration, room quieter, better focus, attending to tasks longer.”

“Noticeable difference in the students’ ability to concentrate during individual or small group work, during test taking, after PE, etc.”

Grade 5 teachers at Brookwood Elementary School in Georgia reported: “Students like them, they ask for the music.” “It appears that students are working more diligently and getting better grades.” “Calms students, settles them down, has a soothing effect. Beautiful, relaxing music helps students focus more.”

All Grade 5 teachers recommended the albums for enhancing learning, relaxation, and stress relief. One teacher at the Wildwood School in Southern California added this note to her survey form; “Thank you for so positively affecting my teaching atmosphere.” This sentiment was echoed by other teachers we heard from, that the music helped them to relax and therefore be more effective.

The principal of an elementary school in Omaha, Nebraska sent us the following letter after a third-grade teacher began using Music for Concentration in her classroom: “I can’t wrestle my copy of Concentration away from one of my teachers. This teacher teaches third grad and one of her students is significantly ADHD with some strong obsessive/compulsive characteristics. Concentration is the most effective thing we have found to help him stay on task. When that album is playing, he can focus and work for extended periods of time. Thanks, once again. I know one child for whom you have made a difference!!”

She also wrote that all the teachers in the school reported value in the music, and paraprofessionals, who tend to help in multiple classrooms, commented how much they liked being in a classroom that was playing Sound Health. She added, “I believe Sound Health has improved the learning environment for students.”

“Whether it is setting a mood, settling students, masking distracting noises, de-stressing the teacher or inspiring creativity for a writing assignment, music from Sound Health has proven to be a welcome addition to the classroom teacher!”

“The students have to work quietly to hear the music, so the music helps to remind them to work and not talk.”

How to Use Sound Health in Your Classroom

The music should be played softly in the background, creating a filter for unwanted noise in the classroom throughout the day. This creates a body relaxed, mind alert state. Remember that playing any music at an excessive volume can be a distraction. You should be able to speak at a conversational level without raising your voice.

For a break after 45 minutes or more of studying, you may increase the volume a bit so the students may engage in active listening to the music. This technique is recommended in the book, Learn with the Classics, by Anderson, Marsh and Harvey. It is meant to relax students and let their minds reflect on what they have learned.

Follow these simple guidelines to choose the right Sound Health album for each activity:

• To enhance executive function for improved attention, memory and focus during testing, studying, workgroups and computer time, use Learning, Concentration, Thinking and Maximum Focus.
• Use De-Stress or Relax to calm and settle the class after high energy activities, disruptions, or rest times. Also effective for melting away stress and anxiety for a balanced classroom environment.
• Inspiration, at 60-90 bpm will engage students during creative activities such as artistic expression, creative writing, mood enhancement and improved performance.
• To boost morale, and increase task completion, Motivation and Productivity will give students enthusiasm and power to excel.

Each Sound Health album is available as a digital download or audio CD. To learn more, visit: advancedbrain.com/sound-health/shop