The benefits of music

There are two possible ways music might be beneficial while working:

• It makes us feel good, therefore helping us to work through otherwise tedious tasks.
• It makes us smarter. The Mozart effect is a well-known example - that listening to a piano sonata composed by a genius can make you perform better.

Some famous composers' work has better cognitive benefits than others. Studies show that Mozart's sonata increased "alpha band" brain waves, which is linked to memory, cognition, and problem-solving.