Page 185 - The Creative Training Idea Book Inspired Tips and Techniques for Engaging and Effective Learning

lucas chap 05 11/20/02 12:13 PM Page 174
174 The Creative Training Idea Book
Use a speaker system in any room that is 40 feet or longer in any direction to overcome
room noises and aid hearing.
Put in work requests on any equipment that creates noise (e.g., air conditioning and
heating vents, humming light fixtures, or squeaky doors).
Close doors after participants arrive to reduce noise from people outside the room.

Music

It has been said that “Music soothes the savage beast.” Whether that is true or not is
irrelevant. What is important is that brain researchers have found a direct correlation
between certain types of music and brain functioning.
In 1993, an important study was conducted on the impact of music on the brain. 18
This experiment resulted in what has been termed the “Mozart IQ Effect” because it was
the music of the famed composer Amadeus Mozart that was selected for use in the study.
During the research, students at the University of California, Irvine listened to relaxation
music, Mozart, or white noise for 10 minutes as they performed spatial tasks. Afterwards,
it was determined that those listening to Mozart outperformed others.
Eric Jensen points out that although this study alone cannot adequately confirm the
conclusion that listening to music was the reason for improved performance, the effect
also occurs in rats exposed to music. In addition, people with epilepsy show increased
spatial reasoning. Twenty-seven studies replicating the original resulted in at least some
positive “Mozart Effect.” Subjects of electroencephalogram (EEG) studies who listened
to Mozart and then performed spatial-temporal tasks showed enhanced brain activity
compared to a control group who listened to a reading of a short story. 19
Although there is controversy regarding the significance of the Mozart Effect, there
seems to be little doubt that music can positively impact brain functioning. In reality,
many researchers now believe that it is not the type of music played, but the melody,
harmony, and rhythm of the music that mostly influences the brain.
Interestingly, as more researchers are finding how important music really is to brain
development, many school systems are cutting extracurricular activities such as choir or
band programs, or what they call “fluff,” from school budgets. Recent discoveries have
shown, however, that the right type of music incorporated into a learning environment
can reduce anxiety and stress, impact physiology, influence mood, and aid learning.
If you play musical selections during individual and group activities, make sure that
the volume level is loud enough to be heard, but low enough that it does not distract
or interrupt concentration or conversation. For background music, you are probably
better off using nature sounds or instrumental selections instead of vocals. Also, select
instrumental music that does not have words (e.g., jazz, new age or classical) so that par-
ticipants do not subconsciously focus on the songs and sing along mentally or out loud.
To benefit most from the research when using music in your sessions, choose selections
that have approximately 40–60 beats per minute if you want to slow the pace of activ-
ity, for individual work, visualization activities, or relaxation. If you want to stimulate
creative thinking and assist in problem-solving, increase the tempo to 60–70 beats per