Were the Seven Dwarfs Right?

I came across an article recently at Pick the Brain that really has me thinking. It was about how listening to music can increase our mental focus and productivity. Blog author, John Wesley, recounts his "aha!" moment while playing video games to music in Focus Better by Listening to Music. He found that if he played while listening to music, his style of play became much more natural, and his decision-making process sped up measurably.

It's long been recognized that music can change a person's mood. I know an upbeat song will lift me when I'm feeling down. Inversely, I cry every time I hear Johnny Cash sing "Hurt." But it's a good cry. You know the type - cathartic. And I'm thrown right back to the '70s every time I hear a song by Elton John or the Eagles. Music is emotionally powerful.

But the idea that music could actually increase your productivity and focus is interesting and, I think, worth pursuing. So if you want to do your own experimentation, I highly recommend the new Pandora Internet Radio. My brother had told me about it. But it wasn't until this weekend that I really had a chance to check it out.

The neat thing is you can listen to a variety of music, but all in a similar vein. So if you feel like a little Doobie Brothers (Am I dating myself?), make a Doobie Brothers station. Pandora will only play songs in the same genre and style as the song or artist you name.

Who knows? Maybe listening to music while working does make us sharper. Maybe we all should whistle while we work. Do your own experiment and let me know.


Find thousands of Bilingual jobs at LatPro.com.