“Music is a moral law. It gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, fight to

the imagination, a charm to sadness, and life to everything.” - Plato

Every single tangible and intangible thing created in this world can produce its

own inevitable sounds. These generated sounds can be heard anywhere and

everywhere. It exists in all the vibrations and rhythms of the universe, the lullaby

of the winter breeze, the splash of the calm sea, the whoosh of the tranquil

bushes, the symphony of the artistic birds, and the siren of the busy crowd, all

these entities when combined can be attributed to one thing, Music.

Music can be defined as humanly organized sound. All human beings are born

with an innate sensitivity to tone and rhythm. We all recognize the power of

music in our lives. Whether we are an avid listener, a singer, or play a musical

instrument, we are touched and moved by the power of music that moves us

deeply, but we still spend a great deal of time listening to and making music. The

enormity of the music entertainment business with its voluminous sales if audio

equipment, records, tapes and compact discs shows that people are involved

with music in large numbers. We no longer need to leave our home to hear

music, and yet large groups of people still attend live music concert of all kinds.

Music increases physical and mental energy – happy, up tempo music certainly

stirs up the adrenaline, giving you an energy lift and psychological boost. You

can be dragging your behind all day, but if you put on some peppy, uplifting

music, your minds becomes alert and your body perks up immediately with

increased heart rate and respiration and a feeling of anticipation and excitement.

Listening to, enjoying, and creating music is primarily a right brain function.

Learning is a process of the left brain. Music links the two together, and when

there is more linking there is more learning.

Music increase people’s receptivity to other stimuli and thus may indirectly

strengthen the effect of the message, whatever it may be. Great works of musical

art in themselves masterpieces of integrated intellectual and emotional function

and expression. They may lead the performers as well as the audiences through

perfect cycles of emotional and intellectual anticipation and realization. The more

fully their aesthetic and dynamic values are given expression in performance, the

more such works will grip us, carry us along, and yield refreshment and

inspiration.

Review of Related Literature

Music is a world. Every one of us has his own experiences in that world. There

are endless depths, infinite varieties and facts of musical experience for the

listener, the student, the performer, the composer, and the therapist. Music

affects the minds and emotions of mankind. It affects them either consciously or

unconsciously, it affects them through the medium of suggestion, it affects them

either directly or indirectly or both. (Scott 1958)

Slower Baroque music imparts a sense of stability, order, predictability, and

safety and creates a mentally stimulating environment for study or work.

Classical music has clarity, elegance, and transparency. It can improve

concentration, memory, and spatial perception. Rock music can stir the passions,

stimulate active movement, release tension, mask pain, and reduce the effect of

other loud, unpleasant sounds in the environment. It can also create tension,

dissonance, stress, and pain in the body when we are not in the mood to be

energetically entertained. Heavy metal, punk, and grunge can excite the nervous

system, leading to dynamic behaviour and self expression. It can also signal to

others the depth and intensity of the younger generations inner turmoil and need

for release.

One of the theories proposed to explain how music is able to reach the

“innermost mental life” of human beings is called the “Thalamus Theory” or the

“Cannon-Bard Theory of emotion”. This theory states that the incoming impulses

from the event that excites the emotion are filtered through the thalamus, where

the distinct quality of the emotional experience is added, the impulses then go

both the cortex where the intellectual aspects are integrated and to the viscera

and musculature. (Hildegard 1967)

From the point of view of music therapy the special interest of this theory is the

idea that the thalamus is capable of being reached by music before other centers

in the brain. Stimulating the thalamus automatically incites the cortex of the brain

the seat of higher elements which are involved in thinking and reasoning.

(Walters 1954)

Rhythm can be used as a tool to develop memory and intellect. Although short-

term memories can be stored as images, they are often stored as sounds,

especially when remembering words. Short-term memory has the capacity to

hold about seven bits of information. But related groups of information are

remembered as a single bit, and thus the volume of the material that can be

stored increases exponentially. Information spoken in a rhythmic pattern will

easily hold together as a unit.

Lozanov et al., found that memory has its own circadian rhythm. Short-term

memory processes are at their peak in the morning, while long-term storage is

best attempted in the afternoon. They have also found out that:

The college entrance examination board reported in 1996 that students

with the experience in musical performance scored 51 points higher on the

verbal part of the SAT and 39 points higher on the math section than the

national average. “Study in music and the other arts generally seems to

have a cumulative effect and is undeniably correlated with improvement

over time in student’s standardized test scores.” (Kvet 1996)

In study of approximately 7,500 students at a medium sized university

between 1983 and 1988, music and music education majors had the

highest reading scores of any students on campus, including those in

English, Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics.

At the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Sofia Medical Institutes,

Lozanov continued his investigations, discovering that slow Baroque

music could bring students into a state of alert relaxation and was more

effective than sleep induced learning for optimal results. Lozanov found

that the best music for learning was that of the violin and other string

instruments rich in harmonic overtones and pulsing at 64 beats per

minute.

He also discovered that brainwaves receive concrete information in both highly

stimulated waves and extremely relaxed, near dream-like states. Lozanov

concluded that when information is coded in both the conscious and unconscious

minds, access to memory is far greater, stating that “Human memory is virtually

limitless”. (Don Campbell, 2001)

Playing light, easily paced music in the background helps some people to

concentrate for longer periods; other it may distract. Listening to Baroque music

while studying can enhance one’s ability to memorize spellings, poetry, and

foreign words. Research into health and memory in work environments has

radically changed the way music is used in the workplace. The University of

Washington reported that in a study of ninety people copyediting a manuscript,

accuracy in the group listening to light classical music for ninety minutes

increased by 21.3%. By contrast, the skills of those listening to a popular

commercial radio format improved by only 2.4%. Meanwhile, those subjects

editing in silence were 8.3% less accurate than those working alongside usual

office noise.

Music has been known to alleviate stress by increasing the body’s release of

endorphins – the feel good chemicals. New research reveals that music

produces powerful effects on the brain, promoting cognitive development, verbal

skills and emotional intelligence.

The power of music to affect memory is quite intriguing. Mozart’s music and

Baroque music, with a 60 beats per minute beat pattern, activate the left and

right brain. The simultaneous left and right brain action maximizes learning and

retention of information. The information being studied activates the left brain

while the music activates the right brain. Also, activities which engage both sides

of the brain at the same time, such as playing an instrument or singing, causes

the brain to be more capable of perceiving information. Learning potential can be

increased a minimum of 5 times by using this 60 beats per minute music. For

example, the ancient Greeks their dramas because they understood how music

could help them remember more easily. A renowned Bulgarian psychologist, Dr.

George Lozanov, designed a way to teach foreign languages in a fraction of the

normal learning time. Using his system, students could learn up to one half of the

vocabulary and phrases for the whole school term (which amounts to almost one

thousand words or phrases) in one day. Along with this, the average retention

rate of his students was 92%. Dr. Lozanov’s system involved using certain

classical music pieces from the Baroque, which have around 60 beats per minute

pattern. He has proven that foreign languages can be learned with 85-100%

efficiency in only 30 days by using these Baroque pieces. His students had a

recall accuracy rate of almost 100% even after not reviewing the materials for 4

years. [The Center for New Discoveries in Learning]

In an analysis of U.S. Department of Education data on more than 25,000

secondary school students (NELS: 88,National Education Longitudinal Survey),

where students reported on a range of topics including: School, and home

experiences; educational resources and support; the role in education of their

parents and peers; neighbourhood characteristics; educational and occupational

aspirations; and other student’s perception, and took achievement tests in

reading, social studies, mathematics and science, researchers found that

students who report consistent high levels of involvement in instrumental music

over the middle and high school years show “Significantly higher of mathematics

proficiency by grade 12.” This observations holds regardless of students’

socioeconomic status, and difference in those who are involved with instrumental

music versus those who are not is more significant over time. [Catterall, James &

Richard Chapleau, and John Iwanaga. “Involvement in the Arts and Human

Development: General Involvement and Intensive Involvement in Music and

Theater Arts.” Los Angeles Ca: the Imagination Project at UCLA Graduate

School of Education and Information Studies, 1999.]

In the kindergarten classes of the school district of Kettle Morraine, Wisconsin,

children who were given music instruction scored 48% higher on spatial-temporal

skill tests than those who did not receive music training. 62 kindergartens were

assigned to one of two conditions, keyboard or no music. All children were

pretested with two spatial temporal tasks and one pictorial memory task. The

keyboard group was provided with 20 minute lessons two times per week in

groups of approximately ten children period. Children were then pretested at two

four-month intervals. The keyboard group scored significantly higher than the no

music group on both spatial-temporal after 4 months of lessons, a difference that

was greater in magnitude after months of lessons. Pictorial memory did not differ

for the two groups after the lessons. These data support studies that found

similar skills enhancements in preschool children, despite vast differences in the

setting in which the instruction occurred. The results have strong implications for

school administrators and educators. [Rauscher, F. H., and Zupan, M.A.(1999)

Classroom keyboard instruction improves kindergarten children’s spatial-

temporal performance: A field study. Manuscript in press, Early Childhood

Research Quarterly.]

An Auburn University study found significant increase in overall self-concept of

children participating in an arts program that included music, movement,

dramatics and art. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of

classroom music instruction featuring the keyboard on the spatial-temporal

reasoning of kindergarten children. 62 kindergartners were assigned to one of

two conditions, keyboard or no music. All children were pretested with two

spatial-temporal tasks and one pictorial task. The keyboard group was provided

with 20-lessons to two times per week in groups of approximately ten children

period. Children were then pretested at two four-month intervals. The keyboard

group scored significantly higher than the no music group on both spatial-

temporal after 4 months of lessons, a difference that was greater in magnitude

after eight months of lessons. Pictorial memory did not differ for the two groups

after the lessons. These data support studies that found similar skills

enhancements in preschool children, despite vast differences in the setting in

which the instruction occurred. The results have strong implications for school

administrators and educators. [The Piers-Harris Children’s Self-concept Scale.

N.H. Barry. Project ARISE: Meeting the needs of disadvantaged]

Research on listening to music has shown increase of activity in the brain’s

temporal region, which is the auditory center responsible for transferring sound

and music. [J.M. Flohr and D.C Miller’s (1999) research on children’s brain

waves based on EEG (Electroencephalogram)] The EEG shows that the left

temporal region of the brain responds to music. Flohr and Miller also found that

children’s EEG appeared differently with different types of music after the age of

5. Human brain wave activity also increases when listening to music of particular

amplitude (loudness). They found that music helps to improve cognitive

functioning, increase the size of brain neurons and assist a person to achieve

higher mental performance. Children who listen to music show average IQ

increases of 7.0 points each school year. [Bower (2004)]

In the 1960’s, Dr. George Lozanov and Evelyna Gateva researched ways to

increase memory ability including the use of music in the classroom. Their

successes caught the attention of the world. Teaching techniques developed

from their creative experiments and today we have a solid format for effective

multisensory and whole brain (Learning Called Accelerated Learning]. Lozanov’s

method to share successful ways of using music for learning, the use of

background music during lectures, vocabulary decoding, or group readings is a

cornerstone of Accelerated Learning Techniques. Two methods for using music,

design to create very different but equally effective learning environments, were

developed to Lozanov’s methods. They are called concerts. The Active Concert

activates the learning process mentally, physically, and/or emotionally while the

Passive Concert is geared to place the student in a relaxed alpha brain wave

state ( Brain waves during periods of waking relaxation) and stabilize the

student’s mental, physical and emotional rhythms to increase information

absorption. Both teaching methods result in high memory retention. Used

together the two concerts provide a powerful learning experience. Another

component of Accelerated Learning techniques is the recognition that the

learning setting and student comfort level with learning is of great importance to

student success. Lozanov’s method included using music as students enter the

classroom, leave the classroom and during break times to help establish a

positive learning atmosphere.

Conceptual Framework

Statement of the problem

The study aims to find out the effectiveness of selected music genre as a

medium for stimulating the brain in enhancing academic performance of

students.

Specifically the study seeks to answer the following questions.

1. What is the significant difference between the post test scores of the two

experimental groups of respondents?

2. Is there a significant difference of the mean gain score of the experimental

group with exposure to soft music?

3. Is there a significant difference of the mean gain score of the experimental

group with exposure to rock music?

4. Does the use of music approach increase the achievement of the 2nd year

nursing students on general concepts?

Hypotheses

If there is a relationship between music genre and improvement of

cognitive skills, then students would increase their academic performance

when exposed to the right music genre.

If there is no relationship between music genre and improvement of

cognitive skills, then students will not increase their academic

performance when exposed to the right music genre.

Listening to rock and instrumental (soft) music reinforces increase learning

process of students.

Listening to rock and instrumental (soft) music effectively stimulates the

brain for enhancing academic performances of students.

Objectives of the study

To determine the effects of music on improving the cognitive skills of a

student.

To help students in selecting the appropriate environment wherein they

can employ their maximum intellectual capabilities.

To identify the stimuli that stimulates the brain to function optimally.

Significance of the study

This study aims to help students identify the proper environment for improving

one’s intellectual process. It would be beneficial to students to ascertain the

proper study habits one should manifest for enhancing their academic standing.

Second year students: the result of this study will help the said group of students

to identify the proper environment for improving one’s intellectual process that

can be used in their daily activities.

Clinical instructors and faculty: At the end of the study, it will give them an output

on a different strategy in teaching students to have a smooth and purposeful

between lecturer and students.

Definition of Terms

Music- is an art form whose medium is sound. Common elements of music are

pitch (which governs melody and harmony), rhythm (and its associated concepts

tempo, meter, and articulation), dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and

texture.

Music Therapy- help clients improve their observable level of functioning and

self-reported quality of life in various domains (e.g., cognitive functioning, motor

skills, emotional and affective development, behaviour and social skills) by using

music experiences (e.g., singing, song writing, listening to and discussing music,

moving to music) to achieve measurable treatment goals and objectives.

Cognitive- is the scientific term for "the process of thought." Usage of the term

varies in different disciplines; for example in psychology and cognitive, it usually

refers to an information processing view of an individual's psychological

functions.

Academic performance- refers to how students deal with their studies and how

they cope with or accomplish different tasks given to them by their teachers. It is

the ability to study and remember facts and being able to communicate your

knowledge verbally or down on paper.

CHAPTER II

Method

Participants

The study is focused on the effectiveness of music as a medium for

stimulating the brain in enhancing academic performance of students. Out of the

total population of 2ND year nursing students, who are officially enrolled at San

Juan De Dios Educational Foundation Incorporated, Pasay City, only 30 students

were chosen respondents of the study.

Setting

Measures

Procedure

Basically, the selected students will be divided into two groups. Each

group is composed of 15 students. Two classrooms will be used for music

listening. One classroom is for listening to rock music and the other one for soft

music. Each group is given 30 minutes for music listening. After this procedure,

both groups will be transferred to another classroom. Then a lecture will be

conducted by _____. Every respondent has no idea what will be the topic of the

lecture. The lecture will run for about 1 to 1:30 hours. An evaluation exam will be

given to the respondents at the end of the lecture. They will be given 10 minutes

to answer the examination.

Actual Procedure

Data Analysis