Music has always been important to me. From blasting Whitney Houston when my mom went through break ups to immersing myself into the new cultures I came into contact with when we moved to inspiring my decision to learn to twerk, at every transitional period in my life, music has been by my side.
The transition to college is no different, as I’ve found that music helps me to wake up in the morning, traverse through campus, maintain my energy level, and regulate my emotions throughout the day. Because of this, I have come up with a few guidelines for turning your music into a function of improvement throughout your day.
1. Get a streaming subscription.
While the cost of streaming services can seem excessive, it makes things easier in the long run. Having to download all of the music you want to listen to is a hassle and not worth it. Most streaming services offer discounts to students. Between Spotify, Tidal, and Apple Music, there are plenty of options. If you listen to more hip-hop and R&B music consider Tidal. Spotify tends to have more underground/lesser known musicians and is the best at curating playlists. Apple Music is the easier to use and tends to get the job done pretty well. Pick one and you’ll be so busy listening that you’ll forget to miss the money in your account
2. Make Playlists
Playlists are everything. I have a playlist for nearly all of my moods, as well as a compilation of all of my favorite songs. Playlists give you the power to accomplish any desired emotion or energy level at any time. Even if you don’t organize your music this way, at least be cognizant of which artists, songs, and genres you like to listen to at certain times and the way they impact you so that you can listen accordingly.
3.Listen accordingly.
If you’re waking up, play music that makes you want to groove. Whether that’s doing line dances, singing your heart out, or whatever; play the music that engages you. When you’re walking, listen to music that fits your pace and avoid slow music like the plague. Especially in the heat, slow music will drag out the process and contribute to your feeling miserable. Save the slow music for when you’re winding down or need to calm yourself. I find that depending on what I’m studying, faster or slower music will work better; experiment, find what works for you, and utilize it.
4.If you’ve lost/misplaced your headphones…
Cry. Then suck it up and grab your spare pair. If you don’t have “spares”, invest in some. You’ll thank yourself for it later.
5. If you don’t know what type of music you like…
Or even if you just want to experiment, don’t be afraid to use the playlist features that come programmed into the streaming services. They will curate playlists based on your previous listening history: from new music to your favorites, there are a variety of mixes that you can chance upon. If you like to experiment with genres, they also create playlists and charts based off of what music is currently popular.
6.If you don’t like music…
You just don’t know that you do yet. Maybe you don’t like popular music, but there is some type of music for everyone. Even if all you like is classical, listen to as much as you can and find the pieces, musicians, and composers that you like. Maybe you like foreign music and didn’t know it yet; regardless, experimentation and perseverance are key.
7.Invest in a speaker and comfortable headphones.
Volume and closeness of sound are important for listening. In terms of headphones, my ears are too small for the ones that go into the ear hole to stay, so I generally use Apple headphones or above the eat headphones (similar to beats). There are many different options of design and price, so just do your research to ensure that you’re getting an optimal listening experience.
Sometimes having the music source be further away from your ears helps to soothe some of the abrasiveness of the sound as well as make the music more enjoyable as background music. When studying, I use my speaker or turn my volume down to allow my brain to concentrate better. (Ironically, I concentrate better with the music in the background than with no music at all.) While that may not be the case for everyone, having the music you listen to at a proper volume and coming through the correct type of sound system is just as important as the music itself.
While I am by no means an expert, I know that these tips work for me. Someone once said, “art is how we decorate space, music is how we decorate time.” Decorating your time well can have positive affects, as research shows the benefits of music therapy for various mental health conditions, including depression, trauma, and schizophrenia, by being a medium for processing emotions as well as being a regulating and calming agent for anxiety and dysregulation. By using these six steps, your productivity and attitude may increase. Even if it doesn’t, at least you'll end up with a great music library, no?