Using music in the classroom

According to Ludwig van Beethoven, “music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks and invents”. Research has since shown what Beethoven knew intuitively – that alpha brain waves are necessary to be creative and one of the best ways to attain the alpha state is through the correct use of music. Therefore, educators who use music to enhance learning are tapping into the creative abilities of their students.

The alpha state is attained when brainwaves are operating at a frequency of between 8 to 12 hertz, when a person is effortlessly alert and relaxed – a state that enables learning to take place. The beta state of 13 to 40 hertz is the frequency the brain generates during normal daily activities. The delta state occurs during deep sleep, and the theta during meditation and deep sleep – states that shouldn’t be occurring in the classroom!