THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PAGE 26
THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MUSIC
Music to make you focus on studying
ANNA ALLEN
editor@kansan.com
Sometimes, even at the library, you have to do anything you can to focus. Many turn to music to drown out the chatter, paper and constant paper shuffling that seems to get louder with every minute that passes bringing you closer to deadline. Here are 10 songs/artists that can help add that boost you need when working on a project or studying. After all, 5-Hour Energy doesn't change the fact that your roommate won't turn down the TV while watching The Real Housewives...
So grab your headphones and crank it up.
Yann Tiersen
Anything Yann Tiersen, especially the soundtrack to Amelie. I owe the completion of every German essay I wrote in the fall semester of 2009 to this soundtrack. I am not sure why exactly, but these songs have the ability to inspire me to not only stay creative, but to energize me to complete any project without stopping 100 times to check my Facebook, take a leisurely walk around Watson, and the like.
Regina Spektor
Regina Spektor's album "Far" is a perfect fit if you're able to work with actual words in the song. The track "Blue Lips" offers a unique tempo that sets a pace for your work. Spektor has released six albums, her first, "1:11:11," came out in 2001, and she recently released "What We Saw From The Cheap Seats" earlier this year.
Classical music is a popular choice when it comes to study music. Stephanie Weinbeck's, a junior from Topeka, go-to choice is the 19th century composer Frédéric Chopin. Chopin, a child prodigy with French and Polish parents, is considered one of the greatest Romantic era composers. Some of Chopin's most recognized pieces today include The Funeral March (probably not the best when studying), and Noctures No. 2.
Chopin
Kaitlin Brennan, a senior from Wichita, turns to many different bands when studying. The Books album "Lost and Safe" is at the top of her list. She added "Anything by Flying Lotus, but especially albums 'Los Angeles' and 'Pattern + Grid World'"
The Books
Beirut
I owe my success during final week this past spring to the song "Postcards From Italy" by Beirut. I played it on continuous loop and managed to get a 10-page paper done in four hours. Though it does have lyrics, this song inspired me to keep on track while, at the same time, transporting me to a more magical place than Watson in my mind. Aside from this track, Beirut, from Santa Fe, has released three albums since its creation in 2006.
Jay-Z
If you're able to listen to music with words and stay on task, then any album of Jay-Z's is definitely worth popping in. Particularly anything off the Hits Collection I. Because if 99 Problems doesn't get you pumped when creating that PowerPoint, I don't know what will.
Mozart
Though the "Mozart Effect," the idea that classical music makes you smarter, has its many skeptics, there no denying that having some kind of noise helps certain people focus. A University of Illinois study released in May found that having background sound can get your juices flowing. So why not have some Mozart on in the background? It may not be making you smarter, per se, but it's keeping your mind busy, at least creatively. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in 1756 and became one of the most influential composers of the Classical Era. He composed more than 600 pieces of music before he died in 1791.
Vitamin String Quartet
When you want to, listen to your favorite bands, but find the words to be a distraction, check out The Vitamin String Quartet or VSQ. This group recreates some of the most popular songs with, as their name implies, a string quartet. From Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain" to Coldplay's "Viva La Vida," The Vitamin String Quartet has released more than 232 albums, according to Last.FM.
Senior Zack McQuiston from Shawnee said he listens to any off the Wilco discography. Wilco formed in 1994 and has since released nine albums, the most recent, "The Whole Love," was released in September of 2011.
Wilco
Angeles and Pattern + Old World.