There’s a reason music on the radio is one of the world’s most expansive and diverse art forms.
Not only does music help set any mood, but the type of music we enjoy can also send signals to our brains that we’re ready to concentrate, relax, or even drift off into a daydream.
Viewed in this way, music has a direct effect on our cognitive behaviour and outlook. Even if we aren’t aware of how this plays out on a scientific level, every single person gravitates toward a certain type of music—or possibly even a podcast—when it’s time for a certain activity.
Whether driving to work in the morning, motivating yourself to clean the house, or getting ready for a night out, you’re probably going to play a different genre. But when it comes to leveraging a certain type of music to help you accomplish something, which sort of music is best suited for different activities? Let’s dive into the options below.
Ambient & Nature-Based Music Ideal for Cognitive Function
Let’s start at the highest echelon of musical demands: helping you tap into your highest cognitive function. While some people might prefer silence to concentrate, science backs ambient and nature-based music to reach a high state of thinking.
Research from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute found that nature sounds like moving water and rainfall helped boost production. Meanwhile, classical and ambient music have been tied to enhanced cognitive function.
These would come in handy when pushing the brain to new limits, such as playing blackjack. The game involves an incredible degree of maths and probability thinking. However, other elements, such as including blackjack insurance, add a new dimension that players have to consider when predicting risk versus potential payouts.
Throw in other factors like splitting and doubling, and it’s clear why many players gravitate toward ambient and nature-based music that helps them push their cognitive function to its highest level.
High BPMs Get the Creative Juices Flowing
Ambient and nature-based soundtracks include a low BPM. Keeping the noise at a low tempo helps the brain focus without getting distracted. However, if you have other goals in mind, you may want to listen to music with a higher BPM, between 50 and 80 beats per minute.
One behavioural therapist even found that music that falls within that BPM range can trigger the brain to enter the Alpha state. Throughout the day, our brains stick to a standard Beta state, which means our thoughts are moving quicker than when in the Alpha state.
While it might sound better to keep the brain in that quick-moving Beta state, it’s the Alpha state that’s connected to memory, intuition, and creativity. In fact, the brain’s Alpha state is responsible for some of our most imaginative dreams.
This makes the 50-80 BPM range ideal for those who are looking to get creative. Whether an art project or even cleaning up the living room, this type of music can help our brains make new connections—whether we’re actively concentrating on a specific problem.
Cinematic & Video Game Soundtracks for that A-Ha Moment
Soothing and non-lyrical music can push cognitive function to a new level. Music with a BPM between 50-80 can instead trigger the mind to make creative connections and get into a ‘flow state’. However, many creative people rely on music to help them conceive a new great idea.
If you’re on the hunt for an ‘a-ha’ moment, then feed your brain epic music. Film and video game releases all include soundtracks that are designed to make audiences feel and engage with the content on multiple levels. This music is designed to rouse the senses and enhance the stakes of any endeavour.
Because of this, cinematic and gaming soundtracks can provide the dramatic and epic background to help boost productivity and idea creation. In other words, if you’re looking to hammer out a brainstorming session or another high-output working period, then set yourself up with a larger-than-life soundtrack.