There's a whole genre of music called "relaxation music."
Researchers attempted to answer that question by sitting 30 people, aged 18 to 80, in a comfy chair, one at a time, with noise-cancelling headphones on. On a desk in front of them was a slider, on which they could indicate their changing levels of alertness versus relaxation, as the researchers played new-agey calming music
Based on the slider info, the participants were all jolted into alertness by Mozart's strings, regardless of age. And the "relaxation music" was indeed a relative chill pill. But not any more of one than the Chopin. And in a post-listening survey, only listeners in their teens and 20s described feeling slightly more sedate when listening to harps and birds chirping in stereo. All of which suggests that relaxation music, while effective, doesn't have any unique soothing powers compared with peaceful classical music. And that’s true even when the relaxation music has 'binaural beats.' The study is in the Journal of Music Therapy. [George Lee-Harris et al., Music for relaxation: A comparison across two age groups]
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
Still, the scientists say the new relaxation music has its advantages. It's got fewer cultural connotations than classical music—which could be preferable in, say, a hospital waiting room. And if you're trying to relax before bed, the new stuff is probably not as likely to get stuck in your head.
—Christopher Intagliata
[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]
