Do you need some music to listen to while studying for your upcoming finals? Do you find yourself getting distracted by lyrics? Try movie scores or music in other languages! I’ve found that this music allows me to give my schoolwork the attention it needs while still being enjoyable to listen to. Here are some of my recommendations!
- Movie Scores
-
Movie scores are instrumentals that range in energy, so you can easily find something calming or more upbeat. Streaming services like Spotify already have a lot of score playlists curated for studying, so you can find a mix that works for you! For example, if you’re like me and want some extra motivation via dramatic music, you can easily find a collection of Marvel themes.
Or, try sticking with a movie you enjoy! Usually, these score albums will be around forty minutes to an hour, so I make it a little challenge to stay focused for a set amount of time. Some of my favorite movie scores are Amelie (55 minutes), The Grand Budapest Hotel (60 minutes), EMMA (62 minutes), and Oppenheimer (94 minutes).
You can also sort by famous score composers whose work can be found in many famous movies. If you know nothing about movie scores, these can be nice as they’re both recognizable and fun! Try John Williams (Star Wars and Indiana Jones), Howard Shore (Lord of the Rings), or Hans Zimmer (Inception and Pirates of the Caribbean).
- Foreign Language Music
-
Another genre I like is music in languages that are foreign to me. This is a much broader genre, but I find that if the lyrics aren’t in my native language, they aren’t as distracting because I don’t understand them! Recently I’ve been listening to a lot of music in French.
Some of my favorite foreign artists are Angèle, Therapie Taxi, Pomme, and Clara Luciani. My absolute favorite song is “Tout Oublier” by Angèle, as shown by my Spotify Wrapped. She and Luciani have a lot of cool songs with feminist messages if you want to do a little Google Translating.
These artists’ styles range from indie to pop and have the same energy as English music, but the lyrics aren’t an issue when I’m trying to focus!
- A bonus Recommendation
-
I’ve even found an album with the best of both of these worlds: the Coraline soundtrack by Bruno Coulais! While a lot of it is composed of an instrumental score, some of the songs have lyrics. However, the majority of these are in a made-up language.
This score is hauntingly beautiful and entertaining to listen to, and best of all, you don’t have to worry about getting distracted!
Happy listening and good luck on finals!
Want to keep up with HCBU? Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, check out our Pinterest board, watch us on TikTok, and read our latest Tweets!