Music can have a remarkable impact on learning. Research has shown that it can enhance the capabilities of the mind and develop the brain networks as learning takes place. Music can dramatically change the environment of the classroom and it is an aid to controlling the mood, feeling and behaviour of individuals in the room, including the teacher.

Just ask yourself ‘What music makes me feel good? What makes me feel sad?’ What do you listen to on the way to work? What song makes you tap your feet? Take the answers and think what they mean when you are learning.

Teachers, parents and students can benefit from the wealth of music in the world and what it has to offer.

This section is divided into five areas. These represent different moods and situations that can be created or emphasised with music. Some music can clearly be present in more than one section. Your choice of music is important. How you use it is up to you. We have given some examples of types of music that could be used in different situations and environments.

The music player allows you to experiment with different types of music either in the classroom or at home.

Have a look at the different sections…

Chill out
A relaxed feel to set the mood for learning

Wake Up
Intended for those times when sleep is not an option

Brain Food
Carefully chosen to maximise learning potential

Think!
Designed to encourage reflection and thought processing

Enjoy
A range of music to stimulate the brain

Mirage – Moroccan Blonde
Creating a relaxed atmosphere and setting the tone

Coldplay - Clocks (DJ SandStorm remix)
Rhythm and pace to suit different activities

Mozart - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
A classic to get the brain working

Faithless - God is a DJ
Pulsating, vibrant for dynamic kinaesthetic learning

Chopin - the 'Minute' waltz
Useful for setting a time limit to activities.

Ralph Vaughan Williams - The Lark Ascending
Peaceful and evocative

Jeff Thomas - The USA and World War Two
A sample of music to help with teaching history topics. Created by talented teacher and musician, Jeff Thomas. There are more tracks available. Use our contact page for more info.

Where do I get hold of the music?
Download through I-Tunes, purchase the CD at your local store or online from play.com or amazon.com.

Can I play music in schools?
Essentially yes but you need to check if you have a PRS Licence that allows you to play music in your educational establishment. This site is licensed for you to play the pieces of music on the media player in the classroom or at home.

How do I use the media players?
Our on screen version is ready to use. Just choose the music and press play. You can stop, pause, rewind and adjust the volume. For your own music, we suggest Windows Media Player (WMP) or Real Player (RP) which can be found easily on the web and downloaded for free. There are on screen volume and playback controls. It is important that you are able to control the volume of the music easily as this can have a real impact on the atmosphere. Both have ‘visualisations’ which change in sync with the music that is being played. There are hundreds on WMP but limited on RP. However, on RP there is ‘Annabelle the sheep’. Worth a try. Contact us if you need support with this.

To continue playing a track from the media player whilst browsing the links, right click on the link and 'open in a new window'.

Music with lyrics often activates and stimulates a different region of the brain to music without lyrics. Bear this in mind when choosing material. It is often distracting to have someone singing along to a familiar tune unless that is your desired outcome.

For further advice and reading on using music in learning have a look at the links on ‘accelerated learning’.