There are times when the human mind seems to run slower. Thoughts run over each other and organizing ideas becomes mission impossible. Dispersion, reluctance, anxiety and fatigue win the battle.
When it is very necessary to calm down, a very useful technique is to use music to concentrate.
The process of choosing music to focus
Although there are sounds produced expressly for this purpose, the rhythms used to search for lost concentration respond to an individual choice. Personal tastes and on some occasions, the environment or the specificity of the action that is carried out, can condition the selection.
Some specialists in the mysteries of mental processes, affirm that music to focus should be infused with slow and leisurely rhythms. Nor should you abuse too high decibels and, in the best of scenarios, lack lyrics.
The above works perfectly for people who require peace and quiet when studying, reading or writing. But these are not the only times when you may need help to focus on an activity that is being carried out.
Doing sports or everyday tasks like cooking and many manual or mental jobs also require concentration.
Music to focus on studies or reading
Many people are not able to concentrate on their work, if it is not with the company of music to concentrate. There are those who even promote and market songs and scores with the ability to improve memory in the short or long term.
What kind of music to choose? Common sense can guide us. What we are looking for is a good concentration. And studying for a math test or any other subject listening to heavy metal or reggaeton in the background does not seem exactly like a good idea.
Beethoven and Mozart: the classics
All the compositions by two of the most enduring artists within the universal history of the arts, they are frequently used as music for concentration.
His works have been studied, due to its possible positive effects on the development of cognitive abilitiess of children at an early age. Some even claim that babies who are familiar with the compositions of these musicians from the belly are more intelligent as adults. As everything has a name, This is called the "Mozart effect."
But Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfang Amadeus Mozart are not the only classical musicians, whose compositions are used as tools of concentration. Names like those of Johann Sebastian Bach, Fréderic Chopin, Antonio Vivaldi or Franz Liszt they also stand out.
The Soundtracks or "the new classics"
The composers of music for film and television, mainly within the American audiovisual industry, more and more spaces are being opened within audiences. His works are increasingly recognized and some of them already have star status. Almost at the levels of directors or actors.
Much of the music from various movies or TV series, There has also been a gap among those who seek music to concentrate.
Notable works by Hans Zimmer in films like Interstellar (2014)u From (2010), both by Christopher Nolan. His work within the film The thin red line (1998) by Terrence Malick, is equally powerful.
Holliwood Big Names
Michael Giacchino is another musician devoted to film and television. He has also provided usable scores to seek concentration. The soundtrack of the series stands out Lost (Lost), created by JJ Abrams. On film, his collaborations with Pixar on animated films Reverse (2015) and Up (2009), both by Pete Docter.
Danny Elfman is a veteran Hollywood musician, recognized mainly for his contributions in several of the films directed by Tim Burton. One of his most recent works, The girl on the train (2016) by Tate Taylor, presents minimalist and calm arrangements, ideal for introspection.
The most emblematic of all the musicians who have made a career in Hollywood is, without a doubt, John Williams. Of his recurring collaborations with Steven Spielberg stand out Schindler's List (1993) and Rescue Private Ryan (1998) Both are war films that appeal to empathy and to highlight the noblest values of humanity.
Bernard Herrmann is remembered mainly for his music in several of Alfred Hitchock's films. He left with his last work, the soundtrack of Taxi driver (1975) by Martin Scorsese, pieces with "smell" and "taste" of Jazz. To a large extent, they reflect the loneliness and introspection of the protagonist.
Electronics and New Age: the music to concentrate par excellence
If you search YouTube for the term music to focus, most of the options within the search results show electronic works. Nature sounds, such as that produced by the waves of the sea or the chirping of birds, usually serve as complements.
The birth of the New Age
Another genre that according to the musical social network owned by Google is also indicated to concentrate, is the New Age.
Born in the early 60s, mix a good number of styles (some quite dissimilar to each other). Among its objectives is to stimulate artistic inspiration, relaxation and optimism.
Besides electronic music, Other genres that participate in the cocktail from which New Age music is nourished are progressive rock and folk. Minimalist, classical and instrumental rock music also take part.
This new genre bases its sound structure on both electronic and acoustic instruments.. Of the latter, flutes, guitars and piano are commonly used.
In recent times, the genre - which at first was almost exclusively instrumental - has increasingly started to include vocals and choruses. One of the songs with the greatest presence belongs to another musical style created expressly to promote introspection and concentration: Tibetan music.
Concentrate on rock, reggaeton, reggae ... Is it possible?
From the outset, appealing to styles such as heavy metal or "tramp" to seek concentration seems like a contradiction in terms.
However, Successful athletes in different disciplines claim to find the optimal levels to undertake their respective tasksprecisely in this kind of music.
As already mentioned at the beginning of these lines, in addition to personal preferences, the selection of music to focus on is also context dependent.
Image sources: YouTube