Photo by Gillian Khoo on Instagram
Let’s be honest, I believe most of us feel demotivated when it comes to studying or doing assignments. Have you ever tried listening to music while doing your work? Many students, including myself, would blast our favorite music to get into our studying mood because the motivation to do so sometimes just doesn’t come naturally. However, for some people, normal music might not work, as the lyrics can be too distracting to. Therefore, most students would end up going for Lo-Fi music on YouTube while doing completing their work instead.
Lo-Fi, an acronym coined by Eric Mathews, actually stands for “low fidelity”. Although Lo-Fi is popular genre of music among students now, initially it wasn’t a genre. Instead, the term was used to describe the way a song or an album was recorded. This genre is often defined as a type of sound recording that contains technical flaws, or usually regarded as imperfections of a recording or performance. The sound is considered “low-quality” and includes a raw sound with soft cracks and music that highlights its strong bass or beats so that it is easier to get stuck in your head. Did you know that raw instruments and small samples of dialogue from television or radio recordings are usually found in Lo-Fi music as well?
Photo by Gillian Khoo on Instagram
As I have mentioned before, Lo-Fi music is often considered a student’s first option when they want some music to help them be motivated to study. But how does the music help you concentrate? First of all, Lo-Fi music helps your brain to focus. The rationale being is that the brain picks out the differences in sound which enables your mind to focus. This results in the cerebrum (which is a part of the brain) being triggered, thus helping students to improve focus.
One of the main reasons why most students like Lo-Fi music is because it’s very calm and relaxing. You get to study and do your work peacefully as it helps you to de-stress and clear your mind. It can also help to forget all of current troubles and fully focus on what you are doing. This genre of music is generally soothing and easy on the ear, with a lack of selected frequencies.
The interesting part of Lo-Fi is that it consists of simple beats; unlike EDM, or other genres of music with harsh and heavy beats. Your concentration levels can fluctuate depending on the beats of music you listen to. Heavy beats will affect your concentration, and you will probably struggle to stay completely focused on the task at hand, which is why Lo-Fi music is the most suitable option. University of Toronto wanted to test this said theory out, and conducted a study in 2007. They discovered that 86% of Lo-Fi listeners had an increase in their productivity and study habits. Scientific research that was conducted had also shown that Lo-Fi music can significantly improve our thinking and concentration.
Students should truly appreciate the fact that Lo-Fi music regulates our emotions, giving us a positive and alert frame of mind that is beneficial for studying. Without it available today, who knows what type of music students would be listening to when they feel demotivated?
By: Gillian Khoo