Using Baroque Music in Your Classroom
Brainwaves are tiny pulses of electrical activity that are produced as neurons communicate with each other. Brainwaves change depending on how we feel or what we are doing. Irregular brainwaves may cause depression, ADHD, etc. We can use music in our classrooms to help students maintain regular brainwaves. Baroque music creates alpha waves in our brains; these waves are ideal for school settings and studying because they help us focus, think in the present, and stay alert and calm.
- Delta – dreamless sleep and regeneration
- Theta – dreamy sleep
- Alpha – in the now thinking (ideal for school setting and studying)
- Beta – fast activity and decision making
- Gamma – passing information in brain rapidly
Benefits of Baroque Music:
The Stanford Report states that baroque “music engages the areas of the brain involved with paying attention, making predictions and updating the event in memory” (2007).
- Relaxation and healing
- Maintain or create positive moods/feelings
- Increased creativity, organization and clarity
- Reduce stress
- Maintain a normal heart beat
- Improve test scores
- Decrease learning time
- Reduce errors due to memory recall
- Highly beneficial to individuals with ADHD or behavioural disorders
- Integrates both sides of the brain for more efficient learning
- A study at the University of California showed that Baroque music raises IQ scores by 9 points
- A study at Stanford University showed that Baroque music increases learning potential by 5
Classroom Uses:
- Help students with ADHD focus
- Transitions
- Cue
- Part of procedures
- Decrease negative behaviors
- Studying
- Multitasking
- During creative projects
- In a sensory room
- During work times
