Using Ambient Music to Find Calm Amidst the Pandemic
Research shows that there are several positive therapeutic effects to ambient music. These atmospheric soundscapes provide students with a way to relax, study, and create healthy sleeping patterns.
Remote learning can be very difficult for those who find themselves easily distracted. Being on Zoom calls for three hours straight while staring at a bright screen and being near family or roommates who are constantly as busy as you, makes it a challenge to find some time to relax and settle down.
A variation of tones and tape loops accompanied by synthesizers, pianos, and other various instruments, have been proven to help change students' emotional state for the better. Ambient music, a term coined by the legendary music producer Brian Eno, has the power to help students de-stress, study, and even create healthier sleeping patterns.
“Ambient music is intended to induce calm and a space to think. Ambient music must be able to accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular; it must be as ignorable as it is interesting.” - Brian Eno in the Liner Notes of “Music for Airports”
Expanding on French composer Erik Satie’s “Furniture music,” which served as the original form of background music created in 1917, Brian Eno coined the term “Ambient Music” for the first time on his 1978 record, “Ambient #1: Music For Airports”. On the liner notes of the record, Eno describes ambient music as “an atmosphere, or a surrounding influence; a tint.” The objective of this music is not to stimulate or entertain its audience, instead, it is to facilitate a certain mood and create a more serene environment.
The depths found within permeating layers of synthesizers and silence have been proven to have therapeutic benefits on the mind. Studies in the National Library of Medicine have shown that music can be used to help treat insomnia and decrease cortisol levels. The results of the research found in the National Library of Medicine reveal that ambient music “significantly improved sleep quality” and “Depressive symptoms decreased significantly in the music group”.
The music itself is not meant to be particularly appealing to the ear, but rather to fully encompass a space and create a deeper sense of self-awareness. There is no cadence, no melody, no true structure of a song, rather these floating notes that envelop all senses, capture a mood and in turn, reduce stress.
Many have had to endure and adapt to the extremes of current life and world conditions; they deserve an outlet to remind them to take the time to decompress. This persistent worldwide trend of anxiety is evident, and for some, ambient music is their key to serenity.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), "Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only 36.9% of those suffering receive treatment." Although ambient music does not serve as a medicinal replacement, it could potentially serve as a helpful coping skill for the 63% who suffer from anxiety disorders and are not properly medicated.
According to research conducted by Florida National University, not only can ambient music ease student stress, it has the potential to “improve your performance” and even “cure pain”. It also has positive effects on older adults. One study from Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, shows that background music can significantly improve memory and other “cognitive abilities that are crucial to the daily living in elderly adults.”
The results show this is a notable treatment to the sores of the current world. Simultaneously, the involvement of listening to ambient music is both cheap and easy to do. It does not require much attention or effort at all, rather to simply participate and appreciate.
The Corsair's "Ambient Music” playlist is provided to encourage students to hear and experience renowned artists in ambient music, and tracks that have the power to help them focus, study, and relax. There are many people dealing with the daily woes and frustrations of being cooped up inside. Unlocking the world of ambient music can help ease students' minds, allowing them to cope with these stressors. Ambient music can serve as a great guide to daily life, potentially having the power to do more good than many are currently aware of.
Ambient music is an acquired taste, but one that is filled with beneficial elements backed by research showing it has the potential to truly change your life.
