Coaching Information

Increase Your Intelligence With Music


You Are What You Listen To

Can music really help you think better? Yes, according to the research that has been done so far.

Listening to, and participating in music creates new neural pathways in your brain that stimulate creativity. Studies have shown that music actually trains the brain for higher forms of thinking. There was a study at the University of California, for example, about 10 years ago.

Researchers followed the progress of three year olds, split into two groups. The first group had no particular training in, or exposure to music. The second group studied piano and sang daily in chorus.

After eight months the musical three year olds were much better at solving puzzles. When tested, they also scored 80% higher in spatial intelligence than the non musical group. With such a dramatic difference, there is bound to be more research like this in the future.

There is also anectdotal evidence that listening to music, especially from Mozart's era, can help you study and learn better. Hopefully there will be research done to confirm or disprove this soon, but there is really no good reason not to do your own experimentation in this area. Stephen King writes with loud rock music playing, so maybe any benefits here are according to your own tastes or brain-organization.

Brainwave Entrainment

Want to listen to some music, and get smarter? There are a number of products out there that are based on an entirely different principle than the research mentioned above. They rely on "entraining" your brainwaves, in order to put you in a meditative state.

Brain wave frequencies vary according to mental state. Daydreaming and light meditation usually take place in the "Alpha" range of frequencies, for example. So if you listen to music containing beats at a frequency of 10 Hz it will feel very relaxing, because your brain will begin to follow this frequency and reproduce the rhythm in the music. You will automatically generate more brainwaves at a 10 Hz frequency and enter a relaxed Alpha mental state.

What these new products do is embed music with beats and pulses that entrain your brain waves to a specific frequency. You just put in the right CD or MP3 for your activity (you don't wan't an Alpha state for analytical work), and you get better brain function. Science? Partly.

It is well established that our brain wave frequencies change with our mental states and vice-versa. It is has also been clearly demonstrated that meditators can go into an alpha state at will, and that this has beneficial effects (lowering of stress, blood pressure, etc.). Do the tapes accomplish this more easily?

Yes, in my experience. I've found two products that put me in a peaceful state unlike any other music or meditative practice. Studies will prove the effects (some have already), and disprove the wilder claims of some of these products. Given the results I experienced, however, I wouldn't wait for the research, any more than I would have waited for proof of the existence of vitamin C before I'd continue eating limes to cure scurvy a hundred years ago.

Wait for more evidence of the benefits of brainwave entrainment, if you must, but why not try classical music the next time you need to study, just to see if it helps? Experiment with music - I haven't yet heard of any damage caused by Mozart.

Steve Gillman has been studying brain improvement, concentration, creative problem solving, and related topics for years. You can visit his website, and subscribe for free to his Brain Power Newsletter at: http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com/newsletter.html


MORE RESOURCES:
Google

Northwestern adds experience on coaching staff
Chicago Tribune, United States - 34 minutes ago
Mike Hankwitz takes over as defensive coordinator with 38 years of coaching on his résumé, his most recent achievement building a stalwart defense at ...


Winston-Salem Journal

Wake Forest dealing with rare coaching departures
International Herald Tribune, France - 9 hours ago
Defensive coordinator Dean Hood took the head job at Eastern Kentucky, and quarterbacks coach Jeff Mullen took over as offensive coordinator at West ...
Wake Forest at Baylor News & Observer
Former Bobcat sees success with staff The Post Online
Grobe?s success inspires Baylor Houston Chronicle
Winston-Salem Journal - Waco Tribune Herald
all 62 news articles


Telegraph.co.uk

Roddick Wins at US Open After Parting With Coaching Brother
Bloomberg - 1 hour ago
28 (Bloomberg) -- Andy Roddick cruised into the second round of the US Open, the scene of his only Grand Slam title, with a new coach, while Lindsay ...
Andy Roddick's brother no longer coaching him International Herald Tribune
Once No. 1-ranked player on the planet trying to regain form - Tennis ESPN
all 149 news articles


Kenowa Hills' Van Essen gets fatherly/coaching advice at same time
MLive.com, MI - 3 hours ago
Senior Kurt Van Essen of Kenowa Hills has no trouble putting in time watching film, or talking with the coach. That coach happens to be his father, ...


Houston Chronicle

Houston's coaching landscape gains star power
Houston Chronicle, United States - 2 hours ago
Ward will be in his first season as head coach, and he's hoping to get the program pointed in the right direction. Sorry, your version of Flash doesn't ...


Washington Post

Coach K to help make Olympic program long-term success - Olympic ...
ESPN - 6 hours ago
By Andy Katz Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski isn't done with USA Basketball after coaching the Americans to the gold medal with a thrilling win over Spain in ...
NBA stars also thrive under Coach K FOXSports.com
USA Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski (Duke University's Coach K ... MarketWatch
Krzyzewski exhilarated, not relieved WRAL.com
News & Observer - Durham Herald Sun
all 125 news articles


Pirates? Moneypenny a chip off old coaching block
Beckley Register-Herald (subscription), WV - 3 hours ago
By Dave Morrison FAYETTEVILLE ? In this year of election, Fayetteville coach Dave Moneypenny knows one thing: He wants nothing to do with politics. ...


Sherman thinks he can get A&M football on march
Houston Chronicle, United States - 2 hours ago
A lot of my philosophy on coaching, raising my kids, living my life was formulated here while I was at College Station, whether it was in a staff meeting ...
McCoy makes smooth transition to tight end for Aggies MyWestTexas.com
all 9 news articles


Seattle Times

Youthful Huskies focus on reversing their second-half fades
Seattle Post Intelligencer - 2 hours ago
"The coaching standpoint will probably show up more on game day. We must make sure we're doing a better job of analyzing our opponent and know our kids ...
UW?s defensive coordinator not looking back TheNewsTribune.com
all 12 news articles


Board bars coaching job for exonerated teacher
The Times of Trenton - NJ.com, NJ - 4 hours ago
Earlier in the year, the board named Dan Caruso, an assistant with the Spartans for the last six years, as the new head coach while charges against Jordan ...
School board decides Jordan can't coach Steinert football, but can ... The Trentonian
Exonerated coach waits in limbo The Times of Trenton - NJ.com
all 3 news articles

Coaching - Google News

home | site map
© 2006