When you look down the halls of Science Hill during a lunch break or in between classes, you will almost always see one or more students wearing a band T-shirt or hat walking by. You’ll often see AirPods in the ears of students, playing music to help them get

through the day or even just to relax. As you see everyone listening to music in the hallways and getting involved in Science Hill’s fine arts music programs, you must wonder, why are students so into listening to music?

Music has been known to ease the mind in stressful situations, reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and pain as well as improve sleep quality, mood, mental alertness, and memory. And, believe it or not, studies show that listening to music during a math test can improve performance up to forty percent! Music releases a chemical in your brain called dopamine, which improves your mood and reduces your anxiety, and can also help in the production of the stress-reducing hormone cortisol. In general, music induces pleasure, joy and motivation. No wonder everyone’s listening to music during class!

Science Hill has a variety of different opportunities that allow students to become involved in music related activities. Band, chorus, and orchestra are just a few of the activities that students can partake in. Interested students are encouraged to participate in one or all of these extracurricular activities. Students with musical training will develop the areas of the brain related to language and reasoning. The left side of the brain is better developed with music, and songs can help imprint information on young minds.

“I think different kinds of music make people feel different ways,” says Anthony Moore, freshman, 14, at Science Hill, “For instance, this morning me and my friends were blasting a song by Bo Burnham on my iPhone at the bus stop simply because his songs are great to laugh along with because of the silly themes. Throughout the day I typically listen to 80’s music… because that’s what I enjoy the most.” Moore also continued to explain that music helps soothe his ADD.

A survey was recently conducted at Science Hill, and out of the 31 people surveyed, responses were unique and personal. Some favorite genres included pop, hip-hop, rock, electronic, and even indie! Favorite artists included pop sensations Ed Sheeran, Olivia Rodrigo, and Harry Styles, K-pop group SEVENTEEN, pop trio AJR, American rappers NF, Eminem, and Lil’ Nas X, as well as bands AC/DC, Metallica, and Skillet.

For many students at Science Hill, music is an important part of their daily lives. Some simply listen to music for pure enjoyment, while others are involved with the band, orchestra, or chorus. So next time you see a student wearing a band T-shirt or using earbuds, you might think a little more on what they might be listening to and why.