Does Music Really Help You Concentrate By Dean Burnett

Does listening to music help with concentration? Music is a significant part of our lives. We hear it at a lot of places, whether we are voluntarily listening, or hearing it play in stores, restaurants, or from the general public. From the Guardian, writer Dean Burnett argues whether music is beneficial in the way one thinks, or if music is a form of distraction, in his article “Does Music Really Help You Concentrate?”. Burnett uses experiments from multiple researchers on how the human brain has a “medium level of syncopation in music to elicit a pleasure response and associated body movement in individuals” (Maria Witek and colleagues). Explained by Burnett, it is the beat of the music one is listening to and how their brain reacts to it;
Expanding this claim, the basis of musical preference stimulates the conscious attention system, meaning that one is set and focused, briefly mentioned by Burnett. Classical and, or, instrumental music are commonly known to be the least distracting, as there are no lyrics. This is demonstrating the use of logical appeal by making reasonable claims to prove his inconclusiveness. Stating the facts can help persuade the reader into agreeing Burnett’s inconclusive
For example, he describes “funky music compels you to dance”, or “sad music makes you melancholy” (Burnett). These descriptions show how the different genres of music can set a mood, causing a reaction in the brain of an emotion or reaction. As previously mentioned, this is down to a person preference. Burnett’s use of pathos can also be seen as a way of keeping the reader’s attention by creating scenarios. A scenario he uses, for example, is by questioning the reader if they have ever “worked in an open-plan office and been working on a very important task, only to be driven slowly mad by a coworker constantly sniffing, or sipping their coffee…” (Burnett). Having this example is a way to keep the reader engaged with the article, by either thinking of a time they have encountered a similar situation or by putting themselves into the scenario. It is a form of persuasion or self interest in the article that can help the reader understand or relate to what is being said through text. This can also be developed as a type of feedback, creating influence in terms of