Whether it’s with a Starbucks pumpkin chai latte or wrapped in a cozy blanket, we all have specific rituals for creating the perfect studying environment. For me, listening to my favorite Spotify playlists is a necessity, but also a double-edged sword; it lifts my mood and I’ll start singing along to my favorite Laufey song, but it’ll sidetrack me from doing my homework.
Can listening to music be conducive to studying? According to research done on a brain studying, listening to specifically positive, instrumental, and familiar songs can improve concentration (How Music Can Help You Study). However, lyrical and heavy music can have adverse effects on studying such as impaired memory and focus (Studying with Music—Helpful or Not? – Indiana Association of Home Educators).
Besides researching how music impacts studying, I wanted to find out what other Montrose students listened to and compile the most popular songs into a playlist.
Based on a survey, the majority of students, 44.3%, listen to music, while 24.3% don’t, and 31.4% listen to music for some subjects but not others (84 responses).
For some, classical music provides better concentration: “it helps me focus because if I listen to music with words, I can’t think,” Keira Hyatt ‘26 asserts. “Also, studies prove that listening to classical music is helpful for studying.”
For others, music in general is too diverting. Most of those who listen to lyrical music admitted that they can’t listen to it while writing essays because the words are distracting: “music can be too distracting,” Kayla Dam ‘26 says, after admitting that she never listens to music while studying.
Alternatively, some students listen to calming rain sounds or white noise to focus.
Based on this information, studying with specifically instrumental and positive music could be effective, while it might not work for everyone or every subject. Because of this, the following playlist might not be the best for all modes of studying, but it encapsulates the most popular Montrose study songs. Give it a listen – although maybe not while you’re writing an essay!
By Callie Jeffery ‘26, Contributing Writer
