Music for Study and Work Productivity

Top Four: Tycho, Explosions in the Sky, Moby and Enya

Nathan Branson

Music makes mental work easier. If you are a student, you might need to review terms for biology in order to pass an exam. If you are writing an essay, you might need music to feel inspired. Doing menial tasks at work can be the same way. Sitting at a desk for 4 straight hours doing work on a computer feels like running a mental marathon. If you are like me, you become easily distracted and want to browse the internet. I use music to give my brain, will and soul a second breath in order to finish a stack of papers. The right kind of music gets me more results than coffee. Coffee makes me anxious, so I need something else.

I think people need to feel smart when they are studying or working. If you don't feel smart, you can think to yourself "I'm not smart enough to do this. This is too hard." In someways this can be emotional reasoning. People need to feel smart when doing difficult mental tasks. Sounds cheesy, but I think it is true. When I was at community college back in the day, I used to listen to Enya because it helped me overcome these thoughts. Since music helps me complete work, I've made a list of music that helps me out. Some of the music I've put below is listed because it wakes me up, but then some of it makes me feel smart, at least smart enough to keep going for another 2 hours. An extra 2 hours is sometimes invaluable.

This is what I need at 2pm on a Wednesday afternoon. 90 percent of the songs below have no lyrics. I've started by ranking my top four study artists and after that are songs that can have all helped me study and work in the past.

1) Tycho. I've listened to Tycho's "Dive" album probably about 50 times since I found it in 2013. That's around 50 hours of work. The entire album is seamless. It's surprising but steady help you through whatever you are doing. After "Dive" you will find "Awake" which is also good study music.

Word to Describe: Steady, Tropical, Optimistic

Tycho: "Dive":

Tycho: Awake:

2) Enya often gets dismissed. I love Enya. I feel a need to defend her since her music has provoked hours (if you add it up, probably weeks) of productive activity in my life. I assume people dismiss her because my generation grew up seeing the commercials for "Pure Moods." Her music sounds like spa music. Once when I was a kid, I was walking through the electronics department with my parents at Sears, where they had a giant wall of TV's of all different sizes, all on the same channel. I stopped to see the music video of this angelic lady singing a song. It was the song "Sail Away." This must have been 1993. When I was a junior in high school, I downloaded about 20-30 Enya songs on Napster. That hooked me. I bought "Sheppard Moons" and "Greatest Hits." Her albums are solid from beginning to end. But more than any other artist-----Enya's music make me feel smarter. Her music blends itself with classical music, to give you an impression you are in a gigantic library writing something meaningful, when in fact you are only in your living room. When I was at community college in 2002, I did not feel smart or inspired. That's when the following albums helped me out.

Words to Describe: Libraries in Europe, Landscapes, Elevating, Ethereal

Enya: Memory of Trees

Enya: A Day Without Rain

Enya: Shepard Moons:

3) Explosions in the Sky make soundtrack music except they are a post-rock band, not some kind of orchestra. They are make 8 minute songs that have no lyrics but lots of crescendos and decrescendos. This band's music appeals to your will. The "will" meaning your mental ability to keep going and not quit. I am sometimes bad at finishing things. I have lots of ideas, but to completing ideas is harder than coming up with a new one. Therefore when I listen to this band I become an assiduous person for about 50 minutes. I highly recommend the entirety of all of the following 4 albums for long work sessions:

Words to describe: Driving, Inspiring, Push Yourself, Underdogs Working Hard

Explosions in the Sky: All of the Sudden I Miss Everyone

Explosions in the Sky: The Earth Is Not a Cold, Dead Place

Explosions in the Sky: Take Care, Take Care

Explosions in the Sky: Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die

4) Moby: Play. I bought Play when I was a sophomore in high school. It was after I heard the song "Porcelain" on a movie soundtrack. It sounded like tropical paradise. Hearing that song was enough to buy the album, which was a great choice. The two worst songs on this album ("South Side" and "Natural Blues") were the ones that go the most radio play. Yet the rest of the album is excellent for studying because many songs have no lyrics. Years later I would discover the "Play B sides" which includes an entire album of music with no lyrics, another 5-6 tracks that are excellent songs for studying. I can't recommend the entire album as I have the previous albums, but here are great study songs from Moby's "Play" and "Play B Sides": "Porcelain" "Rushing" "Inside" "If Things Were Perfect" "Guitar Flute and String" "Memory Gospel" "Flying Over the Dateline" "Sunday" "Summer."

Words to describe: Peaceful, Reflective, Travel Music

Moby: Play