A dose of classical music relieves stress

Clarissa Wong, Staff Writer

Let’s face it: no matter what type of music genre you prefer, music is unarguably one of the greatest things on earth. Whether you like latino, jazz, punk rock, or even if you have no preference whatsoever, music is something that allows us to escape from the world and focus on our thoughts. However, it’s almost overwhelming to see how underrated and unpopular classical music is among the high school demographic.

According to the famous “Mozart Effect” study performed by Alfred A. Tomatis in 1993, classical music has been known for making you smarter. Perhaps your mother made you listen to classical music as a baby, hoping that you would grow up to be some sort of Einstein. Will classical music increase your GPA substantially? Probably not, but one thing that it can do is reduce stress and anxiety levels. Slow, quiet, classical music has tremendous effects on calming the mind and body.

In a similar manner, classical music can also reduce stress. High-schoolers can ease the tension by enjoying string-and-bar melodies, which also increase work efficiency. According to the University of Nevada in Reno and PsychCentral, classical music can slow down heart rate, lower blood pressures, and reduce levels of stress hormones.

If you’re having trouble sleeping, then rest easy, because yet another perk of classical music is that it can help you sleep better. Proven by a set of experiments performed by Peter M. Scheufele of Hungary, classical music is both calming and sleep-inducing. Listening to soothing songs such as the well-known Lullaby or almost anything by Brahms will relax your body and have you asleep in minutes.

It’s also okay to listen to classical music for fun. For one thing, it definitely should be appreciated more than it is. If you think about it, all-star composers like Wagner and Chopin have written music that have lasted for hundreds of years (and it’s likely that their music will last for hundreds more). Odds are that Drake’s Hotline Bling will no longer be on Top 40 within the next six months. This is not brashly criticizing whatever you listen to, but rather suggesting to expand your musical boundaries. Perhaps the next time you are doing your homework or in need of a new song to listen to, turn on the classical radio and listen to something that is both timeless and treasured.