So I don’t know about you, but I really enjoy listening to music sometimes when I study. I wish I could listen to music while I read… However, it makes it much more difficult to focus on what I’m reading :(. Nevertheless, I still enjoy listening to music while I am working on homework that involves more computation. I always seem to have certain go-to albums or songs when I’m studying, and I thought I would share them with you guys!
The Wild West: The Essential Western Film Music Collection
The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
This soundtrack is awesome. It features the theme songs from some of the greatest western movies of all time. In my opinion, this wild west music is my favorite within the classical genre. Maybe I’m biased being a trombone player because the music commonly consists of catchy brass lines and adventurous themes. My favorite song is definitely “The Big Country – Main Title”. It makes me think about being a cowboy roaming through the vast wild west frontier!
Welcome Interstate Managers
Fountains of Wayne
So, I know they told you in elementary school that if you’re going to listen to music while you study, it should be instrumental. Oops. I think listening to this album is worth it though. You might not have heard of this album, but I can guarantee you have probably heard of “Stacy’s Mom”? Yeah, well that’s on here :). So are other great songs, like “Mexican Wine” and “Hey Julie”. Unlike “Stacy’s Mom”, most of the songs on this album are more laid-back, which makes it a good background to studying.
Medal of Honor – Rising Sun Soundtrack
Christopher Lennertz
This is going to make me look like a total dork, but I don’t care because this soundtrack is really cool. If anyone has played the game Medal of Honor – Rising Sun (which I highly recommend), you might recall some pretty awesome music playing in the background throughout the campaign. This soundtrack features a lot of great songs that help bring life and action to the history of the Pacific Theater during World War II. Also, it’s instrumental ;).
The Best of Simon & Garfunkel
Simon & Garfunkel
Now, if you’re feeling tired while trying to study, I suggest maybe skipping this one, because it will definitely put you to sleep, in a good way. Simon and Garfunkel are (were) such incredible artists, and this album features some of their greatest songs, including “The Sound of Silence”, “Mrs. Robinson”, and “The Boxer”. My personal favorite is “Scarborough Fair/Canticle”, because of the soothing chord progressions and catchy bells line in the background. Good relaxing music to have while you’re working away.
The Phat Pack
Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band
Ever since my first year playing trombone, I have loved jazz music. And there is no better big band nowadays than Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band. They have an energy and modernness that uniquely combines essences of rock, funk, and big band jazz. I was actually able to go see them perform live my sophomore year in Burbank, and I was blown away. One of their most interesting songs on this album is “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes”, which as its name implies, is a pretty silly song. Featuring synthesized sounds of a squishing tomato, a high-pitch screech combined with an intense main riff that raises the tension throughout the song, building to a cool ending, this song is pretty sweet. Unfortunately, I can definitely find myself from distracted from work while listening to this album, finding new elements in the music that I haven’t discovered before.
Nothing But the Best
Frank Sinatra
And, of course, you cannot forget the great Sinatra. This album features some of my favorite Sinatra charts, including “Luck Be a Lady” and “Theme from New York, New York”. There’s not much to say about these songs, as they pretty much explain themselves. One of the greatest artists of all time, Sinatra’s music is so timeless and never gets stale.
Hope you enjoyed getting a peek into what music I like to listen to while I study! I strongly suggest checking out some of these songs :).
