On the first day of class, one of our teachers claimed that music draws our attention away from our work, and to prevent such distraction, told us that personal music would be prohibited. What made us wonder, however, seeing as this class emphasized independent work, was why we couldn’t listen to music when our teacher let us work quietly? While listening to music could distract students during tests or lectures, it doesn’t make sense to not allow students to listen to music when independent work is encouraged.

Preventing students like us from listening to music would be ignoring its benefits, like its ability to help students focus.

“I do almost all of my homework when I listen to music,” sophomore Ian Sturgis says. “I think I really just work better with something in the background.” 

Students often listen to music while doing homework, so why shouldn’t they be allowed to listen to music in class?

Sturgis often listens to foreign or instrumental music to prevent getting distracted by English lyrics. This is supported by scientists at Texas A&M University, who say that music, either with foreign lyrics or with just instrumentals, is known to help people focus on their work.

For some students, listening to music is distracting, especially in their ability to collaborate with others when needed. However, others find music to be beneficial; it can sometimes help students ground themselves while doing work.

This is the case for sophomore Bianca Bradley, who has typically had trouble focusing while working. 

“I get distracted super easily by what other people are doing,” she says.

To solve this, she finds that “having something that I can tune into, like music, it kind of helps center me and let me focus on what I’m doing.”

Even if teachers say that a student listening to music in class will be distracting to their peers, students can still listen to music with headphones or earbuds in. This allows students to be respectful of their peers while reaping the benefits of music. 

“I keep to myself. I make sure that I’m not playing it so loud that other people can hear it,” Bradley says. 

Music has helped us process our emotions and thoughts, especially during or after a long school day. For us, high school is stressful, and music has been both a way to relieve some of our stress while studying for highly weighted finals or even just during low-stakes homework. 

While music can be distracting during other parts of class, such as during tests, lectures, or group activities, teachers shouldn’t prohibit listening to music in class during independent activities. Listening to music reduces stress and helps students focus, therefore allowing them to have more success in their classes. 

As students, we know our own limits. We understand what distracts us and what helps us focus, so why should teachers restrict that? If teachers became more lenient with rules surrounding music in class, New Trier could expect to see more focused students and an improved work ethic going forward.