School is starting to ramp up again, which means homework is no longer deniable--even if your willpower isn't exactly up to speed yet. To tune out distractions and tune into your work, what's better than music? Here are my top five (TOTALLY FREE) study playlists.
1. you are alive--part two (8tracks)
THIS PLAYLIST. These are my big guns. This is my go-to playlist if I'm writing an essay, have a lot of reading to do, or even if I'm just frustrated and sad and need to remember that good things still exist in the world. Here are 34 tracks worth of ambience, nostalgia, and beauty for your listening pleasure. Some of my favorites here--"Prologue" from Beauty and the Beast (MAJOR nostalgia), "Casper's Lullaby" from Casper, and "Northbound Train" from North & South (I have a thing for period dramas, okay?!).
2. Cinematic Chill-Out (Spotify)
This is a recent find I've been totally loving lately. Chock-full of beautiful film and video game scores from Forrest Gump to Halo, this playlist zones you in and calms you down. Favorites here--"Winter Has Come" from the newest season of Game of Thrones (haunting AND speaks to my inner geek), "Alan Turing's Legacy" from The Imitation Game (this whole score is surprisingly gorgeous).
3. Deep Focus (also Spotify)
Another go-to, this playlist of atmospheric brain food is awesome for studying, or generally just feeling like you're in your own dramatic movie (i.e. staring out a window at the rain and contemplating life. Or whatever. Just do your homework.)
4. Superior Study Playlist (yet more Spotify)
This playlist has over 500(!) songs worth of movie scores, electronic instrumentals, underground indie, and acoustic bliss. This is a super solid list to play if you're not sure what you want to hear--you'll get a bit of everything! I've found some of my favorite instrumental artists through this playlist--The Echelon Effect, Explosions in the Sky, and Eluvium (to name a few).
5.Best Artists (with words!)
Okay, so this one isn't a premade playlist, but these are great musical options you should know about. If you can handle music with lyrics while you're studying, or instrumental just isn't your thing, here are a few of the MANY amazing artists I'd recommend for good atmosphere: The Paper Kites (best song for studying: "Malleable Beings"), Norah Jones (bsfs: "Wake Me Up"), Roo Panes (bsfs: "Tiger Striped Sky"), Iron & Wine (bsfs: "Naked as We Came"), and Kings of Convenience (bsfs: "24-25").
If none of these quite strike your studying fancy, no worries! Spotify, 8tracks, and TONS of other online music services let you make your own account and playlists for free. You're smart, you probably already know this, but music is seriously one of the best study tools we've got. Find the scores to your favorite movies and video games, or just throw songs on a playlist that make you feel good and go for it! Good luck, and happy studying!
