A German here; Mozart wasn't actually "poo obsessed" the letters he wrote to his cousin and dad were poorly translated to English. They were merely a set of fart jokes. Mozart just had a weird sense of Humor.

@eloisanzara237

4 жыл бұрын

Diogones of Sinope how are you the top comment with so few likes?

@Diogenes_ofSinope

4 жыл бұрын

@@eloisanzara237 perhaps because my comment is recent and has a decent rate of getting likes

@jenniferchough

4 жыл бұрын

the dude was a prodigy and had an immature, crass sense of humor. he was a misfit, more than anything. he didn't fit in well with the orthodox, high-brow crowd in stuffy wigs and had to socially repress himself most of the time but with family/friends he just let his flag fly.

@eloisanzara237

4 жыл бұрын

JenJo damn I’m like him, but without the skill

@samr6408

4 жыл бұрын

Diogones of Sinope It seems germans have always had that bad sense of humor!

So they tested Mozart against absolutely fucking zero other composers whatsoever and then concluded Mozart is magic.

@leftredditcollaboration2769

6 жыл бұрын

shingshongshamalama *science*

@halasimov1362

5 жыл бұрын

😂

@Sachin_A_Shashidharan

5 жыл бұрын

shingshongshamalama bh

@cinnamonsteakhaus9013

5 жыл бұрын

They forgot Chopin, and Liszt existed even though those two were just as much of a genius as Mozart.

@Ivan_1791

5 жыл бұрын

@@cinnamonsteakhaus9013 Not really.

I can't believe you made me google Mozart poop letters

@aedankennedy8263

5 жыл бұрын

Herkkusibale 😂

@videopsybeam7220

5 жыл бұрын

Your avatar checks out.

@ShirubaGin

4 жыл бұрын

Real men use duckduckgo

@ShadowWolf1307

4 жыл бұрын

i hope you guys do realize / found out that its a joke... its litteraly a german (urban) proverb thats been around for like 600 years. People of certain regions use it as a "hello" or "omg" to this day...

@scribblecloud

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, thats my name what word are you talking about

I listen to a lot of instrumental music and music in other languages and i have noticed a few things 1: if the music has loud dramatic changes in it then usually it doesn't help focus 2: if the piece in question is being sung, even in another language, it won't work, especially if you're familiar enough with it to know the lyrics 3: pieces that are repetitive are better for focusing than pieces with a wider variety of melody

@majakaziow8445

5 жыл бұрын

YASSS, this is so accurate.

@viciado7710

4 жыл бұрын

So.....Techno?

@ALSRuby0

4 жыл бұрын

@@viciado7710 actually yeah

@neoncattt

3 жыл бұрын

I find lofi mixes pretty good for focusing for those reasons

@darkmoon4311

3 жыл бұрын

@@neoncattt That's why people usually listen to lofi when studying, it's repetitive, the beat is somewhat less than engaging and it doesn't get in the way of thinking

Dude couldn’t sleep, so he copied a 15 minute piece note for note, out of memory, after hearing it once, flawlessly. Are we sure superpowers are fiction?

@fedegwagwa

4 жыл бұрын

All as a kid!! That adds even more superpower ahahaha

@SeanLaMontagne

4 жыл бұрын

Literally insane. Almost completely unbelievable

@hansmemling7605

4 жыл бұрын

This theory has been disproven. He heard it once, made a sketch and then went to see it for a second time after which he corrected his first draft.

@kaydubsthekoifish

4 жыл бұрын

@@hansmemling7605 Nice!

@rfv618

3 жыл бұрын

@@hansmemling7605 Also the Miserere is musically one phrase repeated over and over and over. Only the lyrics change.

"that's why coffee shops are so good for studying. there's already so much noise that your brain can't focus on any one conversation." that doesn't stop my brain from trying anyway

Fun fact: I have auditory processing issues due to autism, and I hear everything around me at equal intensity. That coffee shop would be so noisy to me I wouldn't be able to differentiate what my table-mate was saying, let alone be able to hear the sound of my own thoughts, reading. It's extremely distracting and difficult

@justarandomlad3756

4 жыл бұрын

Reizüberflutung! (in the spirit of Mozart) Translation: being overwhelmed (=flooded by external stimuli) Also, I feel you as a fellow Asperg myself

@quadpad_music

4 жыл бұрын

I was waiting for someone to explain this here in the comments :D

@PureBeauty511

4 жыл бұрын

My nephew has autism. Perhaps this is the specific reason why he wears sound blocking headphones when he ventures from his house.

@quadpad_music

4 жыл бұрын

@@PureBeauty511 - Yup, totally sure that's the reason. A lot of autistics do that (not me tho), and it's definitively helpful to them. A lot of people try to stop them from doing this, but it's the only way in wich many can avoid pain from sensory overstimulation, and actually _hear_ properly. People should respect different sensory needs, and not push people into environments they are not comfortable with! ^^

@Brandyalla

4 жыл бұрын

@@PureBeauty511 Could be. I wear a pair of earplugs on a necklace just in case

I actually have a question about this... Let's say you're listening to Mozart... But you're a talented musician who has learned how to play part of it or something. Considering music is in a lot of ways a language that you can learn, does knowing what notes are being played, or like... what instrument is making a specific sound, maybe confuse your brain?

@m3nguele

6 жыл бұрын

Erick Wright throug my own experience the answer is:kinda I was listening to 4 Seasons and, althoug I dont know How to play violin, nor harpsichord, I can unserstand what the instruments were doing so I wasnt Very much concentrated. I think this happens because its not an "stimulating background", so you need to subvert your experience. There was no problems with VGM

@SplatBoiii-dq5uj

6 жыл бұрын

Yeah, i think so. Im really into classical music, and as soon as i hear a piece, i automatically try to figure out the harmonic progression. I once tried to study while listening to mozart, but it is impossible cause i can't concentrate on my books hearing a piece of music

@williamadiputra2850

6 жыл бұрын

when i listen to music while working, i tune out of the music. i don't really enjoy the music. it's almost white noise. And when my favorite music which i enjoy came on, my concentration breaks down. because i started to enjoy the music and really notice the ups and downs of the music.

@masonhmusic

6 жыл бұрын

I play piano and jazz, and if I listen to classical pieces that I know, or even jazz, my brain instead focuses on the melody and story of the piece. So it doesnt help me much

@williamadiputra2850

6 жыл бұрын

yeah so music kinda work like a white noise. but a more interesting white noise probably?

"What kind of music is supposed to just sit in the background?" Umm...background music?

@quietone610

4 жыл бұрын

Video Games love this sort of music. If you ever play "The Stanley Parable", one section has you follow an adventure line. The theme is...suitably focus-able.

@steamedbryce

4 жыл бұрын

Ding ding ding we have a winner

@aisho894

3 жыл бұрын

before background music was invented, this question was still a thing tho

@Crusader1089

3 жыл бұрын

I don't think anyone would call "music for airports" stimulating.

@lawrencesmeaton6930

3 жыл бұрын

@@Crusader1089 You take that back!

"Music can make you smarter ?" No I would say, "Listenning to a specific type of music while studying can optimize your envionnement of learning and therefore can help you get smarter"

@earthgrazer2164

3 жыл бұрын

Not get smarter but remember and complete tasks more efficiently

@awolters5827

8 ай бұрын

There's also the fact that music helps a brain remember better, like how dementia patients can remember things more clearly and become more aware when listening to music they like/have a history with. Often I like to listen to simple music I can hum easily when trying to memorize it as I find I can remember it more easily by humming the same music to myself later.

Of course Amadeus was smart af. He grew up listening to a ton of Mozart after all

@user-cu6um3wx9c

3 жыл бұрын

You’re not wrong

*_Hey!_** Don't kink shame Mozart.*

@austenbergstrom2018

7 жыл бұрын

Dominic. kink shaming is my kink

@Kabodanki

7 жыл бұрын

SJW weasel word

@TheWarriorpony

7 жыл бұрын

Jon I'm pretty sure OP was making a joke -.-

@tomshraderd4915

7 жыл бұрын

Do you even know what a weasel word is?

@elizabethashley42

7 жыл бұрын

Imma shame the shit out of that kink.

Hey man, this video was really well done. Nice understanding of confounding variables. :)

The world needs mo' zart

@jasonmosher8047

7 жыл бұрын

Mo'zart, mo' problems.

@vidyogamenurd

7 жыл бұрын

I think we have enough zart.

@jupiterkid100

7 жыл бұрын

I like you

@shitbag.

7 жыл бұрын

PlayTheMind cowbell

@sebastianpaz689

6 жыл бұрын

mo' art fixed

I kind of have the opposite issue XD. My job is all visual and rarely do I need to focus on language or verbal things. So it's really hard for me to keep focused with just ambient noise/music. I love listening to your videos while I work because they help my brain stay busy enough to keep my concentration on my visual tasks from sliding off into oblivion constantly. Love your stuff so much! Thanks for getting me through some agonizing work weeks!

This video actually supports my suspicions I've had about concentration, or just generally clearing your mind, and I'm glad you've said these things. You could apply the same logic for going to sleep too. Listening to rock music, while it's relaxing to me, doesn't help me fall asleep because I end up listening to the lyrics and minute details, like the instruments and beats, the kickass riffs, stuff like that. But calm, low volume music with no lyrics and you just feel the music is much more relaxing and makes a good background noise. I find that "Lo-fi" videogame music is good for this too, when it sounds more muted and sounds kinda like the quality of a record player. On the other hand, a fast upbeat track (like the FF7 battle theme) can sometimes be distracting (at least for me) because, oh man there's that kickass tune again, I'm gonna listen closely to it. But to counter my own point there, it does help when I'm working at my desk and I need a pick-me-up from the boring work and I can get excited again.

I'm not sure, though. Because sometimes no-lyrics music can still be distracting because I know the song too well and end up trying to sing along in my head. Some sort of white noise works better.

@sakurarevue123

7 жыл бұрын

don't listen to an instrumental of an exciting song ! You have to listen to a peice of music that originally has no lyrics : like mozart or beethoven like he was saying, or a soundtrack tomovie or a video game ! My reccomandation is that you listen to the soundtrack of batman v superman ! I know a lot of people hate this movie (I'm personnalyy NOT one of them!) But the soundtrack is just EPIC !

@blazefa519

7 жыл бұрын

plshalp Then listen to music that never had any lyrics to begin with, not a karaoke version of a song.

@blake_ridarion

7 жыл бұрын

But even Beethoven will be distracting because I know and love the pieces so well that I will start "singing" it in my head. Train sounds, cafe sounds, rain. Those work best for me.

@Snowyy201

7 жыл бұрын

Guys, I can still sing along with movie and game soundtracks. I know what's coming up and can hum them out! This is why listening to music will never work for me unless it's a piece of music I have never heard before.

@aitchess5947

7 жыл бұрын

plshalp same thing happens to me, any piece of music or song is distracting for me, because i find "classical music" exciting. Noises work the best for me. Weather sounds, fire noises...

lol lil Wayne kills sat scores

@slendeaway7730

6 жыл бұрын

I only listed to bass boosted lil Wayne guitar solo on repeat while studying and I got a perfect 100 on my SAT

@masonpalmer1752

6 жыл бұрын

Firefox9001 Woosh

@slendeaway7730

6 жыл бұрын

Firefox9001 rip

@slendeaway7730

5 жыл бұрын

Firefox9001 You clearly did not understand that it was a joke, as in your initial comment, all you did was correct me and call me a liar. There is no improper English. It is grammatically correct as is if you take a second to realize the typo (if it even is a typo). Semantics aside, the 'sense' of the joke is still easily derived from the context of the sentence. It certainly is "woosh" because you clearly missed the joke and are now only trying to defend your broken pride by making excuses. I don't understand what joke you believe I am referencing with my "unique" and "different" formatting, but I assure you, I made no mistakes in my formatting of my joke. Good day.

@slendeaway7730

5 жыл бұрын

Firefox9001 How thick are you? That's part of the joke that you allegedly understood perfectly.

Fun fact. So I was at a museum last week, and I wanted to read all the bits and pieces of text they had put up with the exhibition. I'm Dutch, and the museum is here in the Netherlands, but the text was both in Dutch and in English (nice for the non-Dutch speaking people here). After a while of being unable to focus on the Dutch text because there were too many people around me talking in Dutch, I switched to reading the English text instead, because I figured that my brain probably wouldn't be as distracted by hearing Dutch while trying to read Dutch, as it would be hearing Dutch while trying to read English. And lo and behold, suddenly the meaning of the text came to me clear as day because it wasn't muddled by other words of the same language floating around in my brain because of all the people talking. So the rest of the trip I just read everything in English and I could focus perfectly fine. I've heard that if you learn a second language from a young age (below the age of ca. 7 I believe), your brain is still primed for learning languages actually develops a separate area dedicated to that second language next to the area dedicated to your native language, which makes code-switching a lot easier. But if you learn a second language later in life, most of your brain's structures are already set (and it's just the connections that change) so you're kind of forced to keep interpreting that second language through your native language. And that's why people who learned a foreign language at a young age can be much more proficient at it than older learners who have been learning the language for an equal amount of time. I learned English at a very young age, my parents knew it was going to be important for me to be fluent in English since Dutch isn't really spoken by many people around the world and English is the "international" language nowadays. By the time I was 9 I was able to have full unsupervised conversations with native English speakers, and obviously I still had to develop my vocabulary but I didn't have any unusual issues. So I reckon that that's also the reason why I was better able to focus on the English text in the museum. Because I learned English at such a young age, it's probably being processed in a slightly separate area from the Dutch processing area, so the spoken Dutch around me wouldn't confuse me.

@EleiyaUmei

Жыл бұрын

I'm a German and relate so much to this - but I didn't learn English until 5th grade and only *really* learned it at age 16 - 10 years ago - when I started listening to English more regularly. I don't think this language processing issue you described has something to do with (childhood) brain development. Instead, maybe it's something that happens when your skills in a language have become so profound and listening to that language has become so regular and natural to you that it's close to being your native language.

There's a thing I'd like to point out: Another reason that people who listen to Beethoven perform better on SAT tests might be due to cultural capital... That is, the influences and environmental factors leading to the development of that human being. Usually, if you grow inserted in an environment where you are exposed to classical music since childhood, your family usually has more cultural capital than those who not. You probably speak more than one language, were exposed to classical literature, were instigated to search answers to philosophical and moral questions etc... Due to that, those people have a headstart over those who didn't have those influences

@zym6687

3 жыл бұрын

No. "Cultural capital" is bullshit marxist talk. What you mean is time. They have time to study. Certain cultures squander this time with frivolity while those that succeed didnt.

@berend213

3 жыл бұрын

@@zym6687 dude really just pulled out right-wing buzzwords in a conversation about music

@zym6687

3 жыл бұрын

@@berend213 What buzzwords? Marxism? Anyways you acquire cultural capital by not squandering time. Everybody has the same amount of time in a day, just certain cultures squander more of it due to their preferred behaviors so they fall behind when comparing themselves to cultures who aren't neglectfully frivolous with their most important resource. All it takes is the desire to be better instead of wallowing in despair telling other people your problems are their fault.

@cyprel

3 жыл бұрын

Agreed. It's definitely a 'correlation not causation'. The video makes it seem like that would only happen due to overbearing parents who force their kids to listen to Beethoven, (as if young people would never voluntarily listen to Beethoven on their own accord??) when in fact I think it's far more likely that students listening to Beethoven grew up in the type of families where they were exposed to a lot of reading, musea and other brain-stimulating activities.

@Hraefngar

2 жыл бұрын

@@zym6687 Available time is more correlated with Socio-Economic status than with anything else. Poor people are often working multiple jobs that provide them with little free time whereas white collar workers often have more down time during work, free time outside of work, and vacation days where they don't have to work. This is time that people can devote to various pursuits (educating themselves or supporting their children's education, investigating options and careers, maintaining their health and well being, etc). In addition to this, education is funded (at least in the US) by property taxes, which means that poorer neighborhoods have woefully underfunded schools while rich neighborhoods have very nice schools. This plays a huge role in education. Schools with little funding often cut music programs and many can't even afford libraries. With regards to the Cultural Capital comment, those who learn classical music are usually those with more resources and support systems in place to further their education. Cultural Capital refers to the social networks and backgrounds that people belong to that aid in upward mobility. Those learning classical music are likely in places with better schools, public resources, and more powerful support systems. Moreover, classical music is viewed as prestigious music which plays a role in people's expectations and whether they view pursuing it is right or not for them. Also, just because somebody discusses Cultural Capital doesn't make them Marxist. One need not abandon the idea of private ownership to acknowledge Cultural Capital as a concept. The concept originated in 1960s/70s and not by Marxists.

*AGRESSIVE FFVII ELECTRIC GUITAR*

Those study's said that the effect only last for about 15 minutes so does that mean that I got a poop fetish for nothing?

@santascousin8450

7 жыл бұрын

studies*

@bul13ts

6 жыл бұрын

Some might call the poop fetish its own reward.

@aknopf8173

6 жыл бұрын

Depends. Did you defuse a bomb in that 15 minutes?

5:20 don't forget "leck mich im arsch".

@sillybilly414

7 жыл бұрын

how could he (sigh)

@yayfei

7 жыл бұрын

Elbert Pham I'm very disappointed.

@sillybilly414

7 жыл бұрын

I understand why

@fallingcrane1986

6 жыл бұрын

The more classy version of “It’s Everyday Bro”

@toprak3479

6 жыл бұрын

am*

"Mozart makes your babies smart!" Thanks Kari

@giselledsouza4073

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah that line from the Incredibles sent me down a rabbit hole of research

''Classical Music helps you Study.'' Classical Musicians: Pfft, BAHAHAHAHA!

9:12 This is what anxiety looks and sounds like.

09:12 this is literally what ADHD feels like ALL THE TIIIIIMMEEE

@meghanhenderson6682

3 жыл бұрын

Depends. If I'm trying to do a worksheet, YES!!! If I'm hyper focused...Hmm...the thing is magically done...

9:31 jokes on you, I had absolutely NO TROUBLE listening to you with Taylor swift blasting. Though that might just be the ADHD lol

You tried with "Miserere". You tried.

@clochard4074

7 жыл бұрын

I admit I was in pain hearing it, even if it's not his fault.

@jenniferchough

4 жыл бұрын

i'm really surprised at that one. he's classically trained and he must have heard and studied more than his fair share of latin masses by various composers. there's no way he hasn't heard someone say or sing "miserere nobis" a hundred times.

@samdunggawaxy7314

3 жыл бұрын

Even if he knows how to pronounce it the joke works better if he screws it up

There is some music that I can't use as background study music even though it has no lyrics. Wagner and Mahler for example. Does anyone else feel the same about any instrumental music? Not necessarily the composers I mentioned, obviously

@infoana7871

7 жыл бұрын

Generally speaking, it's pretty hard to focus when you love a music and you replayed it over and over, even if it is instrumental

@Janfon1

7 жыл бұрын

Bep Mir Music that is trying to tell a story or going for a specific theme can be distracting. Sometimes I focus just on listening to a track before I start imagining things to it, even after hearing it many times before. It's just that good. So it's not exactly a matter of being instrumental or with vocals, but more of music taking your attention away from the task at hand.

@BenniArt

7 жыл бұрын

As someone who's a classical musician and loves Mahler: I can't study with classical music except from piano pieces; every different type of classical music takes over. What works perfectly, though, is Jazz! I never had a problem studying listening to some Miles Davis, Bill Evans or John Coltrane. Fusion might be a bit too much, though...

@josepmir4530

7 жыл бұрын

BenniArt you just described my situation exactly😂 I can't focus to jazz recordings I know really well though

@jamjox9922

7 жыл бұрын

Instruments that replicate the human voice closely (such as strings) can be bad choices, for the reason that it sounds like a voice "singing." Generally, you'd want music that has more going on and you can't "listen" to one section over another without "focusing," well, like Mozart or Beethoven.

duuuuuude! I was a """victim""" to this! I was diagnosed with autism and other learning disorders as a baby and listened to HELLA "baby mozart" holy shit

@7skyhorse

4 жыл бұрын

@MagiColorful Moon yea I still listen to it for comfort tbh

Me with some type of undiagnosed disability: *reading text, listening to your voice and singing along to taylor swift against my wishes simultaneously* Also me: *has to pause video to type or else i will begin transcribing your voiceover*

I get so happy when I see that Sideways has uploaded a new video. I'm really enjoying all your content, it's superb.

Does music not qualify as a "language" in the brain. For example if you understand music quite well does that have a negative effect on listening on music while studying? I for one can not concentrate when listening to classical.

@gemnox

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah I have the same problem. Most people don't have any interest in classical music, so they just let Mozart sit in the background. If you're into classical, it can be as distracting as a conversation, because you're listening for and appreciating the melody and chord progressions instead of keeping it in the background.

@adamvossen5374

3 жыл бұрын

Probably explains why I could listen to Sideways despite the Taylor Swift music. For reference, I'm a retail worker so I'm used to hearing pop music, a genre I was never really interested in in the first place, almost daily. In response, my brain may have developed a sort of tune-out protocol due to my lack of interest and increased exposure, that along with the environmental need to hear my superiors' and customers' requests.

And this is why there's ten thousand lofi beats to study to videos

Weird thing about me, if I have memorized all the lyrics to a song, the song works just as well when studying or focusing on something else. Although for me, songs without lyrics are just as distracting until I memorize them too. Essentially, I have to know a song very well, or else listening to it will distract me, except for the times when the opposite is true. When I am doing arithmetic, I almost always sing, same when doing polynomial division or matrix math. And what I sing is a song I make up that loosely rhymes with things I am doing mathematically. It is kinda weird, and very opposite to my normal relationship between working and music.

@NotAnotherKuromi

3 жыл бұрын

I'm the exact same, I thought it might be my dyslexia not paying so much attention to the lyrics in the songs. Any new sound, constant or not, would be destracting. As you say it has to be something I know, so my brain can file it into unimportant background noise. On another note I'm under the process of being investigated for autism & I'm finding it very interesting researching all the sensory differences people with that & ADHD have. Maybe you have another variable you haven't yet considered too?

I can’t listen to Mozart while studying because I’m too busy following each melodic line of the score, and it distracts me

I'm really glad to see this idea broken down this way. I have ADHD and serious sensory processing issues and was SO relieved when you started getting into why verbal instructions and silence would be far more distracting than instrumental music in most cases. I think it's also worth noting that people have different sensory needs and respond to stimulation in different ways - what works for one group won't work for everyone. That is to say that, while I find instrumental music a great backdrop for working, I have other friends with ADHD who listen to podcasts or music with lyrics for background stimulation. I know other people who prefer absolute silence because of hypersensitivity, in which case noise-cancelling headphones are a godsend. The main point here is that it has nothing to do with how smart a person is - it's about focus.

Coming back and watching this video after learning that I have ADHD makes so much sense. I actually have made a habit of listening to Zelda low-fi while I'm studying for this exact reason. I actively distracted by lyrics, and the gentle beat of the Zelda music give my brain the dopamine needed to concentrate on the work.

Hi! Awesome video as always! Here's the thing: I have perfect pitch, expressed as an inner monologue reading out note names in the Italian solfège system (a.k.a. what I was taught in music school as a little kid in Romania). When I listen to melodic instrumental music, I automatically pick up on all note names and that keeps me from concentrating on other things. When I listen to music without a discernible melody, my brain works even harder, trying to pick up on one dominant note in every chord and form a melody with it. The only things that stop my perfect pitch from working are: a) untuned percussion (uninteresting - how long can you go listening to only percussion solo music?) or b) lyrics in a language I don't understand. Therefore, for someone with verbally-expressed perfect pitch like me, vocal music actually works better than instrumental music for concentration, as long as the lyrics are in an unintelligible language - as I tend to pick up instrumental music as if it were words (and not just words - words in my mother tongue! Which I almost never speak otherwise.) Don't you think this is a fascinating thing? :)

@TwentySeventhLetter

7 жыл бұрын

Wow, that's really intriguing! I only just recently learned how people develop perfect pitch, and that makes a lot of sense with what I understand about it. (Not sure if you know this already, but for anyone who doesn't:) When people are exposed to music with a wide and unpredictable range of notes frequently in their youth, roughly toddler age and below, they can develop perfect pitch because they learn the individual notes of music in the same way they learn a language. Just like how people can't learn a new language after becoming an adult in the same way they do as a child, perfect pitch is something you either have or you don't. I bring this up because I originally thought that it was an explicit benefit to have perfect pitch and there would be no reason not to want to have it, but what you just said made me rethink that idea. If you can hear notes like words, then that means listening to instrumental music is just like listening to music with lyrics, and so it's harder to find an actual song to listen to that doesn't take your attention away from what you're doing while listening. I've got a lot to think about now, and your experience has helped me, so thanks for sharing! Cheers!

@maellebonnin7698

6 жыл бұрын

Hi mirceagogoncea ! I also have perfect pitch and hear the notes "sung" by the instruments in the Italian solfège system (because I'm French). And I have found that I can listen to instrumental music without interfering with my concentration only when it's a piece of music that I know really well. If it's something new, I feel compelled to listen to it, like lyrics. But when it's something that I've heard times and times again, it's like my brain can put it in the background because it already knows what's coming next. Is it something you have noticed also ?

@FernieCanto

6 жыл бұрын

"untuned percussion (uninteresting - how long can you go listening to only percussion solo music?)" I *love* percussion works. Persephassa, by Xenakis, is particularly badass.

Me with adhd listening to taylor, listening to you talk, and reading the screen: 👁👄👁

This makes me think of one time a couple years ago where I had decided to take a computer science class, and had to do some reading. In order to not get distracted by the sounds around the house, I put on a 3 hour KZread video of "songs to study to", or something. It was going fine until one jarring point where the piece of music that was chosen had narration over it. I mean, singing is doable to study with, but this was full-on History Channel-type narration, which pushed the music into incidental background noise. It was baffling to me that in a video specifically designed to have music which would help one not be distracted from studying, the uploader chose a piece which would be one of the hardest to study with. Needless to say, I was wrenched out of my reading and had to go to the video and try to skip past that part in order to get back to what I needed to do.

very interesting! I've found that I can only listen to music with lyrics while doing math or Spanish homework, which is totally in line with the science you gave. i'm thinking in a different language, so there is no conflict between my sub-vocalized voice and my homework

huh, maybe this is why my "doing work" playlist are mostly themes from soundtracks without words or only voices singing in ohs/ahs/other languages/etc, it helps me focus when the beat drives me forward (and keeps time, like in seconds, not just tempo) with most of these themes (like Portals from Avengers Endgame) but at the same time doesn't overload me, plus working in silence is never actually silent because I can hear electricity or other buzzing noises, so music drowns that out enough to concentrate

To be fair, knowing more than one language should be the bare minimum in every country.

@federicoritacco9942

6 жыл бұрын

Alexander Yordanov lol

@CharcharoExplorer

6 жыл бұрын

It is true, monolinguals in general seem to be slower in intellect most of the time.

@adonisadmirer2752

6 жыл бұрын

Alexander Yordanov I think you might have cause and effect mixed up here. People that are more intelligent usually seem to be able to learn languages easily, so it's only natural you'll see people that aren't as remarkably bright not be that good with languages, but it doesn't necessarily work out the other way around.

@abbreviatedalex2418

5 жыл бұрын

Jeezargo, there's empirical backing that being bilingual, and using both languages regularly, protects against dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Also, being able to learn another language depends much more on the circumstances of learning the language and practice time than some arbitrary standard of intelligence. Literally ANYONE can be bilingual or even trilingual if both or all three languages are spoken at home during the first 5-6 years of life. And anyone, regardless of age or intelligence, will become fluent in a non-native language very quickly if they're dropped into a country full of those speakers and have to use it to get by. But even the brightest person won't remember anything more than "hola" and "donde esta el bano" from their one year of Spanish in high school unless they carry on learning the language by themselves.

@sharn.5285

4 жыл бұрын

@@adonisadmirer2752 That's a pretty goofy statement, Anglo countries aren't representative of the whole world. Most countries around the world speak more than one language, sometimes 5 to a fluent level. Angelo's are a huge exception in that they only speak one, so to act as if speaking multiple languages is a rare thing or only for the smart may be true for your Anglo country but it's far from accurate.

Every time someone sees me listening to music while I work is like 'how can you do that?' And I'll hold up my phone and show them that I'm either listening to video game soundtracks, or Homestuck music, which is technically not video game music, but is also lyricless. But they're always like 'THAT DOESNT WORK DUMMY YOURE TAXING YOUR BRAIN DUHHHHHH' it's incredibly annoying.

@amiithevampirequeen2828

7 жыл бұрын

lumiradio for me works

@RedmarKerkhof

6 жыл бұрын

I can't do it either. Especially complex music is very much an active experience for me to listen to.

@CaseyShontz

3 жыл бұрын

I’ve just been reading through the comments for a while and it seems like almost everyone here has a different way they process these things. The explanation in the video may be the “normal” brain, but it looks like it’s really different for everyone.

Man where was this video when my teacher refused to let me listen to rain noises during independent study cause i couldn’t focus with her talking to another student next to me about Thor Ragnorak

That makes so much sense. I've alternated listening to VG soundtracks without lyrics and published tracks with lyrics from my spotify while doing homework and I've always gotten it done faster listening to the VG soundtracks. Great video as usual Sideways.

@pczb2692

7 жыл бұрын

That's because VG soundtracks are made to be looped without being annoying.

"America, as well as all the other former European colonies, ie. *THE REST OF THE PLANET* "

@nathanbrown8680

4 жыл бұрын

Europeans didn't colonize the entire planet. They missed Abyssinia, Japan, Thailand, Korea, and (depending on how you define colonization) inland China. The last was outside of the effective spheres of influence, but did suffer from England's Opium dumping. The Italians got Abyssinia eventually, but not until mostly after the time period being referred to. If you define European less expansively than people who complain about colonial oppression do they also missed Liberia.

@alexcat3121

4 жыл бұрын

@@nathanbrown8680 They also missed Wakanda.

@nathanbrown8680

4 жыл бұрын

@@alexcat3121 And Atlantis and Cybertron and Ponyville and sundry other places that don't exist. That's not what we're talking about, though.

@gabrielreed1096

4 жыл бұрын

@@nathanbrown8680 they missed Ethiopia

@nathanbrown8680

4 жыл бұрын

@@gabrielreed1096 They did. I didn't. It was The Kingdom of Abyssinia during the time period under discussion. I think it became Ethiopia again when it returned as a republic after WWII.

What about that study done on different types of music (including classical and other genres of instrumental music) being listened to while studying, that found that only Baroque music had any significantly notable correlation to a positive effect on focus and the subject's ability to absorb information? And then what about how I can put on a movie I've watched a million times to be playing "in the background" and suddenly find it way easier to focus and study? Like not the soundtrack, the whole movie, dialogue and all. (It's "Clue" if you're wondering)

“The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim” has the best background soundtrack for studying/working. Don’t ask why. It just works.

I really liked the video! Appreciate your content. It's very insightful.

Isn't it true that not everybody subvocalises? I though some people try to not/learnt subvocalise so they can read quicker, and others just don't naturally

@JimCullen

7 жыл бұрын

Yeah, speed readers train themselves not to subvocalise. It's generally a good way to retain _less_ information, though. Handy for getting the general idea of a novel, but not a great idea when studying. I've vaguely heard that some people's thoughts come in more abstract forms such as images, rather than being subvocalisations. But I know I personally definitely "think" in vocally, and I haven't seen any actual research about it.

@jonlottgaming

7 жыл бұрын

This may sound weird but I find reading boring because I'm not engaged by my own subvocalisation. Unless its something i'm really interested in, reading doesn't hold my attention. Much prefer podcasts/audio books

@louis058

7 жыл бұрын

I've definitely noticed that due to the way I read while growing up (impatiently), a sort of skim reading is my default reading mode (this might also be because I grew up reading the internet), where I almost direct parse a sentence into its constituent concepts and absorb the information without actually voicing the sentence in my head. It's gotten to the stage where I will sometimes notice that I didn't actually retain the information I just read in a previous paragraph, and would have to go back and deliberately subvocalize before I would get that paragraph, especially if the information is hard to understand. But I think that while not everyone subvocalizes, the video's point about it being harder to subvocalize or focus on an audio message is harder with talking in the background, still stands.

@Kabodanki

7 жыл бұрын

I hear that a lot of people lie to get attention and feel special

@bloodenjoyer

7 жыл бұрын

jonlottgaming i try not to subvocalize when reading, for some reason i pay attention and understand better when not doing it.

I'm confused. Why are Classical and Jazz associated with lower test scores in the chart? These are instrumental pieces without lyrics to distract and for Jazz, can often just be noise not dissimilar to a Coffee Shoppe. Why would they be so low and lyrical pop bands place higher? Especially considering Beethoven IS classical?

@jamjox9922

7 жыл бұрын

It's possible Jazz enthusiast dig Jazz more than their studies. People don't just "randomly" listen to Jazz (generally speaking), if you're into Jazz--you tend to TO BE INTO JAZZ!

@91722854

7 жыл бұрын

unfortunately, out of my scientific curiosity, I did listen to Jazz, and still do from time to time with no special occasion

@astrodonunt

7 жыл бұрын

I don't know much about either type of music really, but maybe it's because pop songs tend to have really similar structures to the point where even their lyrics can get predictable, whereas maybe your mind has to concentrate more on other music types that tend to be more improvisational and have different structures like Jazz does. I don't know, just pointing to the "flow" of the music probably won't solve all problems but maybe it's some food for thought.

@javierbenez7438

6 жыл бұрын

Or maybe the chart is BS?

@hirokokueh3541

6 жыл бұрын

maybe it's about the groove? those strong grooving of jazz, funk music make you can't concentrate

I don't know why, but your voice is so soothing and welcoming in these videos. As soon as you start talking, I'm instantly hooked. Keep it up! Love your vids, man!

I like the way you laid out the extra factors that may have contributed to the different results of each of these experiments! Sometimes people take studies at face value and don't look deeper into the test groups or the methods. I know this isn't anecdotal, but when I'm working on a task I sometimes prefer music with lyrics. This is because I'm intentionally asking my brain to focus on juggling that as well, so that it doesn't go off on a tangent with another mental project while I'm trying to get something done. It's sort of like when I used to doodle in class to help keep my head in the classroom instead of floating out into space. But videogame and movie soundtracks are my go-to when doing a word-heavy exercise.

4:14 isnt that the one that the viral video of the guy singing from helium is in?

The moment I had to pause to read. So meta. I love it

I learned more about my sensory processing disorder in this video than ever have from all the research I've done over the years lmao!!! Great job dude.

I found your channel this morning and been binging your videos since then. love your videos!!

The biographical inaccuracies are silly. I don't understand: Today, everyone makes and laughs at shit jokes. Two thousand years ago, people were making and laughing at shit jokes. But if Mozart does it, he has a scat fetish and is a bad role model. Like, what the hell kind of conclusion is this? And Mozart didn't marry Constanze to get back at her sister, Aloysia, for rejecting him. They just had chemistry, and they liked each other. They moved in together BEFORE a marriage even took place, a huge faux pas at the time; Constanze's mother wanted the police to go arrest Mozart, and bring Constanze home. Mozart even married her without his father's permission. They clearly loved each other. And the comparison to Hayden is crazy. Virtually every notable composer who followed Mozart had cited him as a direct influence on their work, and as an artistic role model to aspire to. Beethoven, Chopin, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Wagner, Tchaikovsky, etc. - all of them talk about Mozart. They don't talk about Hayden. Hayden was great, and he was a genius, but he didn't have Mozart's progressive vision or guts. Mozart was basically a proto-romantic that Beethoven followed, and built upon. Also, everyone fucked their cousin back then. The world was a lot bigger in 1770 than it is now, and life was a lot shorter too. They still intentionally bled people as treatment for diseases and illness when Mozart was alive. Life was real short, and you get it in where you can, buddy.

6:14 Oh yeah, I can back this up. I'm listening to the DOOM soundtrack since it came out and my abilies to disect things that are standing in my way has been improved tremendously.

I had a stroke last year and suffered from aphasia. For a few days I couldn't speak and couldn't understand anyone else. I also didn't have an inner monologue (subvocalization). Having been a professional musical theatre actress and singer for years and years, music and singing are huge parts of my life, and one of the weirdest and most frustrating things for me was that after a day or two I could kind of hum the melody to songs but couldn't remember the words. Then I could remember some of the words in my head but couldn't get them out of my mouth. It was one of the most horrible things I've ever gone through. Then, finally, I woke up one magical morning, and could sing about half of the words to the few songs I'd been able to hum the day before and I literally burst out happy crying in the middle of the hospital ward. I thankfully had my speech and ability to sing back within a week of my stroke, and I swear that I believe that it was only possible because I was watching musical films & TV (Crazy Ex Girlfriend) the whole time I was in the hospital, even when I couldn't understand a word they were saying. Many of the musicals I watched and the songs from Crazy Ex I knew backwards and forwards pre-stroke, and I'm convinced that the music and the familiarity helped snap my brain back into gear MUCH quicker than the doctors had expected.

I love this channel. Interesting videos. Original content. I really enjoy your videos!

oh cool Catholics aren't being blamed for something. this time.

@Enkaptaton

4 жыл бұрын

"catholic knight" ist still sarcastic I guess :D

"And if any type of music is suppose to sit in the background then whats the point of having it" Coughambientcough The point is for it to exist, and enhance your living space, like a piece of furniture or a plant.

@recklessrex

4 жыл бұрын

THANK YOU!! "Ambient" was the word I was looking for! I knew there was a technical term to explain the way us lay-folk use "background"

Sending this video right away to all my teachers not allowing me to listen to music. I'm slow with work, I'll always be, but I tested months before seeing this if music is better for me. It is, I got 3 × more homework done with my 90% filmmusic Spotify playlist, then I did with silence, where I constintly got distracted. Not really by sounds but by thoughts 'cause I'm a massive daydreamer. For me, music is perfect for keeping focus. I can't concentrate on my nerdy thoughts with an entire fanfare next to me but I can concentrate on my homework. Which sounds like a poor excuse, ‘yeah the music is just wel enough to work but not to get distracted, so may I listen some?’ but it's actually true, thanks for bringing this to my attention

This channel is soooo good!!! Thank you for your work sir!!!!

*Chromatic harmony is richer in Mozart than Haydn* , compare their string quartets, or their similar orchestral works, (3/4 time, C minor) Haydn's Symphony No.78 in C minor (1782) with Mozart's Concerto No.24 in C minor (1786). In the Haydn symphony, in the opening for example, the second violins and violas in each measure play groups of 6 eighth notes in G and than Ab and then back to G and so on, GGGGGG - AbAb... - G.. - Ab - G - Ab for 6 measures, then the basses take over the base harmony, does the same half-step alternations on C - B - C - B - C - B for another 6 measures, after that, *it's not chromatic anymore*- Eb to Db, (repeat) and then Ab to Bb. Stay in Bb for 4 measures, then to Ab, to Db. Now look at the Mozart concerto, not only did the opening theme, with its use of all 12 tones in the chromatic scale, inspire Giselher Klebe (1925~2009) in writing of his tone row in Symphony for Strings (1953), unlike Haydn who spams repetitions of G-Ab or C-B, Mozart's baseline does something more interesting. In the opening of the concerto, for example, look how the basses (also groups of 6 8th notes) *go from C - B - Bb - A - Ab - G - F under just 10 measures* (first violins also do between over measures 64 ~ 70 in high registers) and continues its restless chromatic bassline, which is much more interesting than Haydn's spamming of groups of 6 8th notes over a half-step, a poor excuse for chromaticism by Mozart's standard. Look how Mozart makes melody out of chromatic fourths in the woodwinds before the soloist enters. (measure 81) Where do we find in Haydn's piano music something like Rondo in A minor K.511 and its infleunce on Frederic Chopin? Also consider, this passage from Charles Rozen's The Romantic Generation page 358 "Perhaps this interest in the inner parts accounts for Chopin's idolization of Mozart's music, where the inner part writing is richer than in any of Mozart's contemporaries." You can find the whole page online. There's none in Haydn music that matches the complexity of the ending of Mozart's Symphony No.41 in C major last movement. even in the famous online article, "10 GREAT FUGUES NOT BY BACH" (FLAMEHORSE MAY 28, 2012), there are listed two fugues by Mozart (Requiem Kyrie, Jupiter Symphony), two fugues by Beethoven (Hammerklavier, Grosse Fuge), one by Handel (Messiah Amen), but NONE by Joseph Haydn.

Yeah but I programmed a whole afternoon while listening to your videos in the background, Sideways, so there. #TheSidewaysEffect

Surprised this has too few views. Great video and I love that you explored various sides to answer the question fully

8:34 I like to use certain yt videos as podcasts when I work on stuff, and depending on what I'm working on, I get really overwhelmed and have to take a break. So I can vouch that this is true.

Sideways, I love your video essays. Can you share with us some of your favorite soundtracks ?

Everyone knows lofi hip-hop makes you the smartest

And this video explains QUITE nicely why most of my music that I listen to is either instrumental or in languages I don't know- because I'm a freaking Kirby when it comes to reading and writing, and I have even MORE trouble than most people focusing on things when there are discernible voices around! Well done! (There *is* technically sarcasm here but it's all directed at my brain's inability to do regular brain things at the usual annoyingly mediocre level- your vids are always a delight to watch!) As far as the idea of "stimulating background" music goes, I think they're going for the idea of "it gives the brain of the listener something to 'focus' on in place of outside noises, as if to tell their subconscious 'okay there is gonna be music here, you can take a break and let the conscious mind do its thing!'" which...is pretty close to where you went with this. But as we all know, the internet is full of incorrect words for correct concepts. XD

I still don't remember how I found your channel, but I am so glad I did

A classically trained musician listening to Mozart will have the same effect as a non-musician person reading while listening to Taylor Swift, because it's not about the absence of lyrics, it's about the information being recognizable and/or valuable to a person. A classical musician will neatly pick out intervals, chords, and their progressions, analyze instrumentation, etc. etc.

@joshuaharper372

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, I find it incredibly distracting to have Mozart (or Bach or Beethoven, etc) in the background, because they don't stay in the background. Taylor Swift just sounds like gym or coffee shop muzak to me.

6:12 oh wow... i’ve been listening to videogame soundtracks for years. Everyone scoffs at me for it, but now i see that i wad right all along. Thanks!

Those videos you used as examples were what my Intro to NeuroPsych used!

One explanation for the facilitating nature of specific pieces from Mozart Beethoven and the likes was their frequency and how they were able to make the brain run on a different frequency. But I can't recall the details. The conclusion I drew was basically: slow music helps memorize and thinking, fast music helps reaction time. Which would actually fit very well with the typical Videogame scores where battlethemes are those fast paced exhillarating pieces while the rest remains more calm.

Why does that baby Mozart cover look so familiar...

"music with lyrics will only appear when you aren't doing anything" *Looks at Yoko Taro*

@Humorless_Wokescold

3 жыл бұрын

yeah but Yoko Taro is literally, always trying to fuck you over. Remember that final note right after the screen goes black?

@rena--chan

3 жыл бұрын

@@Humorless_Wokescold yeah but the entire song is nonsense, even the Japanese part

Ur always uploading on my lunch break god bless you

You are one of the smartest people I know, I love how passionate you are and how you dive deep into things that interest you. I am always inspired by what you post. Keep it up:)

or the Placebo effect 😉

@rosalinelafleur5132

6 жыл бұрын

he explains how there is a neurologic reason for music for being helpful in intelligence

@titustan3893

6 жыл бұрын

It’s probably a mix of both

@halasimov1362

5 жыл бұрын

What ever gets you in the zone!

@arpeggio8061

5 жыл бұрын

Why did Mozart kill all his chickens? Answer: Becasue when he asked who was the best composer they yelled, "bach bach bach."

Does this mean that Mozart had perfect pitch?

@NotAnotherKuromi

3 жыл бұрын

Yup definitely sounds like it

I was diagnosed with ADHD at a pretty young age. Which isn't super different or special, but I let it hold me back. I convinced myself that i didn't have the capacity to learn anything that I wasn't decidedly obsessed with. My grades slipped and i just didn't try in school. Over time, however I had a lot of success with keeping my mind busy with music. As time has gone on ive been able to intensely focus of writing essays, solving math problems and doing research while listening to busier music. More recently ive found youtube analysis videos (like this one) which i listen to while im working all day. For that reason ive felt that focus is like a muscle, and my previous ( perceived) limitation no longer holds me back. I also just got my bachelors and secured a decent job. I'm very curious about if anyone happens to know more about this "learned focus" idea. I also want younger viewers to realize that having trouble focusing doesn't mean you're helpless or stupid. It just means that you may have to find your own way to succeed, that may not be like everyone else's.

My favourite soundtrack to listen to while working is the "Mirror's Edge; Catalyst" soundtrack. Some of my best graded essays have come from when I listen to it, so I think it goes to show that you are very much on point.

Oh, look, a new Sideways video, best like video before watching it.

@GegoXaren

7 жыл бұрын

Also: HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SIGH?

Come over to the /r/Sideways subreddit if you want to discuss these videos in a somewhat more structured format.

@JimCullen

7 жыл бұрын

www.reddit.com/r/Sideways/comments/70j19y/the_mozart_effect/

@Kirkklan

7 жыл бұрын

(He has a subreddit now? Huh. Cool)

Just binging through your videos at this point, and I've felt what you're saying about not being able to focus when hearing a language I've fluent in, but in another way. I specifically can't listen to bebop, or dense classical music when I want to focus on something else, because my mind will always automatically try to figure out the harmony in whatever I'm listening to and I particularly like doing this with jazz and classical music. Or, if it's a tune/piece I know but done a little differently, my mind's thinking of how the music sounds compared to how I know it. It's a very similar feeling to when someone's trying to talk to me when I study, or if I listen to music with English lyrics

i really love your videos man! Thanks so much for making them!

I'm sorry, I'm sure this question is annoying, but I have to ask it. Didn't you promise your next video was going to be about some Japanese thing that UNDERTALE does but no one has noticed it yet?

@vincent-of-the-bog

7 жыл бұрын

Someone is going to make a comment about your avatar, so I'm making a comment about your avatar.

@dusknoir9999

7 жыл бұрын

Yeah, he made it sound like it was some sort of conspiracy kept hidden from the public

@georgeofhamilton

7 жыл бұрын

Hah hah, your avatar doesn't work well with KZread's new style.

@MaemiNoYume

7 жыл бұрын

I don't know exactly what conspiracy is there in the japonese music, but they use a lot of progressions that enfatize the IV which is in the lydian. It happens a lot in undertale music. It happens a lot in soundtrack of romantic or slice of life animes and I guess also in pop japonese music. I don't see it happening so much in western pop music or western soundtrack music. I use it in my music! I'm addicted to it (it's the EASIEST way to get emotional music content, but it's a trap pls). I don't know how to explain how it works exactly. You put emotional weight when you play IV chord, you go back and forth from IV to I/III, it works. You go VI -> I/V -> IV, it works. You go II -> I/III -> IV, it works. But also the melody use notes outside the IV chord, like the 9th and #11th. You avoid doing a V -> I progression. You can do a V -> I/III, and it will pull you to IV. I think the problem is that it's too hard get outside of this "system", because once you go outside it feels so much clearly you went outside the system. It's almost like suddenly changing the genre of the music. One way to scape this prison is too enter in the same prison but in another tonality. The IV makes it very easy. Going directly to a lydian in another tonality feels good and omg feels good. Try going to the flat side of the cycle of fifths and play the IV chord of this tonality, enfatizing the #11 and 9 maybe. It feels really good (for me), but toby fox doesn't do that in so much in undertale. When the song in the system, it stays in the system until the end, but he also has some songs outside the system, like "it's raining somewhere else" and some other that I don't remember. But I want to make it clear that it's not any usage of the IV chord, it's not like John Williams for example. He uses the lydian mode is such brilliant way. Also another way to use the IV chord outside this system is to just use modal harmony and every chord is its own modal island, it's the Zelda approach for example. Go a little more far in this and you get Jazz Fusion, that uses Lydian and Dorian in a really fresh and alien way (idk how to describe), but it uses really extended chords with 9, 11, 13, and each chord change goes to a different tonality, and you use 6-part voicing, jumping bass, crazy instrumentation, dissonant notes in the pedestal, etc, etc.. I'm already lost in this texto, sorry.

@AppleberrySmith

7 жыл бұрын

Sana calls himself oira.

I don't have an inner voice so I could listen to Taylor Swift, hear what you were saying and read all at the same time! (I'm terrible at multitasking so it's not that, and my reading was a bit slower)

Dude, you are incredibly intelligent and comprehensive. I've been knowing this for years though. But that's not to take away from this excellent video!

THIS IS CRAZYYYYY I just realized why I scored highest in my 12th grade maths exam a few months ago!! Normally when I listen to music it gets hard to concentrate as I get distracted by the songs.. But this time, I was listening to Kpop music, especially BTS and cause I don't understand Korean.. it was just like a background music to me that I could efficiently tune out to focus on math!! Sideways, u just blew my mind!! Thank U 💜

Damn I'm early, hi Sideways!

@don_chanGD

7 жыл бұрын

Koa Pono hi early

@budderbrinejr

7 жыл бұрын

Why would he look at the comments soon after posting instead of waiting until a significant amount of people have seen it?

@christiangay793

7 жыл бұрын

Hi early, I'm dad.

My mother had my siblings and I listen to Mozart every single night when we were young so that we fell asleep to it and I'm not sure if that made me any smarter. I'd love to call myself smart, but really, I probably just stand at an average IQ level.

sideways: yeah im the music guy i sure like sounds. leitmotifs!! also sideways: NEUROANATHOMY TIME.

The most productive day I've ever had in my life, I sat down to do some programming, put on Bonetrousle from the Undertale OST on loop, and spent probably 10 hours that day just absolutely laser focused (though I'm sure I had food breaks and the like, don't worry). I'm sure there were other factors- like I probably slept well, and I was probably already in the mood for it- but the song is so repetitive and fun and non-intrusive that it just put me in a trance. Nowadays whenever I work on stuff I tend to put on the Cats (1998) soundtrack, which is nice in that I absolutely love the songs, but not so nice in that I catch myself mentally watching the characters dance along, or mouthing along with the lyrics. But it's good for things where I don't need my full attention I suppose