PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY G. ACUNA VIA CANVA

Originally published January 24, 2023

Students at MBMS have unique music taste. Rap, pop, rock, indie, and music in general has become popular amongst people with the rise of music streaming platforms. Allowing you to listen to music anywhere from on an airplane, to the hallways of this very school.

Many students at MBMS listen to music during passing periods, lunch breaks, on the bus, and during silent work time.

“[Music's] the only thing that keeps me sane,” seventh-grader Lucille Martin said. “It gives me a nice little break.”

Students tend to agree it’s mostly positive, though it isn’t always great, and they believe it can be distracting.

“It depends on the class, it can be very good if you need background music while working,” seventh-grader Sephoria Reiche agreed. “But it can be very bad if it’s distracting you.”

Many students share Reiche’s opinion, though they tend to have a more positive view of music in school. Teachers share a similar opinion as well.

“Music is a big tool for people to refocus and feel positive going into their next class,” music teacher Ms. Causby said. “It would depend on the situation. However, if there are lyrics and it’s distracting, I’m against that.”

Students tend to listen to more popular, intense music, which many would say is a distraction.

“[My favorite song is] 'Bad Habits' by Ed Sheeran,” sixth-grader Mackenzie Little said.

With over 1,000,000,000 plays on Spotify, this upbeat song is very popular.

“[My favorite song is] 'Kill Bill' by SZA,” seventh-grader Zen Tran said.

This song is one of the most popular songs as of January 12, according to Spotify, with over 200,000,000 plays in the first few days of its release.

The National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE), said music can increase a positive classroom atmosphere.

“Active engagement with music can impact the way that the brain processes information,” NCCSLE wrote. “Enhancing the perception of language and speech, and subsequently improving our ability to communicate with others and learn to read.”

On the contrary, a study done by 'Hey Teach' shows that music negatively affects concentration and task performance. Less intense music still affects concentration, students who worked in silence showed the best results.

Music at school has both pros and cons. While some think it’s a way to make school less stressful and others think it’s a distraction, one thing can be certain, music is all around us.

In the halls, buses, and classrooms, students are listening to music. Composing, playing, and, listening, music is everywhere, and everyone can agree it has an impact on us.