On a daily basis, over 148 minutes of Spotify are listened to each day. Music is a way for many to relax and can relieve stress. Music has both many positive and negative effects. In fact, music has such positive effects and is so effective in relieving stress that it is sometimes used as a form of therapy. 

Music is known to be able to reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and pain. Slow-paced music can quiet the mind and relax your muscles. This can soothe the body and allow for it to relax. Music can be extremely beneficial for this reason. Slow-paced music can be beneficial for relaxing the body while fast paced music is beneficial for better focus and alertness. Also listening to music can improve sleep quality, mood, mental awareness, and memory. However, listening to music also has some negative effects. Loud music can reduce focus and make it extremely difficult for students to concentrate. This decreases the ability one has to study, which will cause grades to drop. Certain music can cause violent thoughts and encourage bad behavior. The music one selects to listen to should be chosen carefully based on the circumstance and mood the individual is in. Relaxing music can be beneficial during a stressful situation. Many people struggling with mental health issues use music as a coping mechanism because it relieves stress. 

Music therapy is where music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of people.  The people who perform music therapy are known as music therapists. Music therapists usually can play an instrument and sing. They are paid between $28,000 and $72,000 a year. Studies have shown that music therapy has been more effective than prescription drugs for anxiety.

Overall, music is an extremely effective way to calm the mind and allow the body to relax. Music has many positive effects on the brain and can be extremely beneficial to listen to while doing schoolwork. However, certain types of music can cause negative effects to occur while doing schoolwork. Listening to loud music can have the complete opposite effect that calming music can have on an individual. For example, loud music can cause loss of concentration and create a distraction while working. All in all, listening to music can be both extremely beneficial and have some negative effects, but as long as one is careful about their music choice and the circumstances, then music will be sure to benefit them.