The Answer is Music

#4 - Does Lofi Actually Help You Focus?

n this episode, we dive into a fascinating study from the Open Journal of Medical Psychology that asks a simple but important question: can lo-fi music actually help us focus? While classical music and binaural beats have long been linked to concentration, this research tested lo-fi head-to-head with classical and silence, measuring student test performance as a proxy for focus. The results? Lo-fi improved scores significantly compared to silence, landing just a few points shy of classical music. We’ll unpack what that means, why lo-fi works, and how its steady beats and calming textures could be the modern soundtrack for concentration. Check out the research paper here! [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1571064513000638] You can listen to my piano music on all platforms! Click here to listen. [https://ffm.bio/0rznqer] You can get all my piano sheet music for FREE by joining my FREE patreon! Click here. [https://www.patreon.com/c/matthewcwright] Follow me and the podcast on all social media! Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/matthew_c_wright/] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@matthewcwright] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-wright--/] | X / Twitter [https://x.com/matt_c_wright] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@theanswerismusicpodcast] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/people/Matthew-C-Wright/61579590003154/] | Reddit [https://www.reddit.com/r/matthewcwright/] | Snapchat [https://t.snapchat.com/o9vkPLQg]

#3: How Music Hijacks Your Brain: The BRECVEM Model

In this episode, we dive into the BRECVEM model — a framework by psychologist Patrik Juslin that explains the seven ways music stirs our emotions, from goosebumps and tears to nostalgia and pure joy. I’ll walk you through each mechanism, from brain stem reflexes and rhythmic entrainment to memory and musical expectancy, showing how songs can hijack our minds in surprising ways. Whether you’re a musician, a music lover, or just curious about why that one track always hits you in the feels, this episode breaks down the science behind the magic. Check out the research paper here! [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1571064513000638] You can listen to my piano music on all platforms! Click here to listen. [https://ffm.bio/0rznqer] You can get all my piano sheet music for FREE by joining my FREE patreon! Click here. [https://www.patreon.com/c/matthewcwright] Follow me and the podcast on all social media! Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/matthew_c_wright/] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@matthewcwright] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-wright--/] | X / Twitter [https://x.com/matt_c_wright] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@theanswerismusicpodcast] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/people/Matthew-C-Wright/61579590003154/] | Reddit [https://www.reddit.com/r/matthewcwright/] | Snapchat [https://t.snapchat.com/o9vkPLQg]

#2 - Train Your Brain to Sleep with "Prescribed" Music

This episode explores a literature review by Dickson and Schubert on “music as prescription” for better sleep, examining six long-term studies where participants listened to calming, slow, instrumental music for 30–60 minutes before bed over several weeks. Results showed consistent improvements in sleep quality—often shifting people from “poor sleeper” to “healthy sleeper” status—while control groups, including those listening to audiobooks, saw little change. The research suggests benefits stem from habit formation and breaking cycles of nighttime overthinking, with longer durations yielding greater results. Safe, free, and easy to implement, this approach offers a natural alternative to medication for improving rest.Check out the research paper here! [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7399370/] You can listen to my piano music on all platforms! Click here to listen. [https://ffm.bio/0rznqer] You can get all my piano sheet music for FREE by joining my FREE patreon! Click here. [https://www.patreon.com/c/matthewcwright] Follow me and the podcast on all social media! Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/matthew_c_wright/] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@matthewcwright] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-wright--/] | X / Twitter [https://x.com/matt_c_wright] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@theanswerismusicpodcast] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/people/Matthew-C-Wright/61579590003154/] | Reddit [https://www.reddit.com/r/matthewcwright/] | Snapchat [https://t.snapchat.com/o9vkPLQg]

#1 - How Instrumental Piano Can Help You Ease Depression

In this episode, we dive into a fascinating study from Qinghai University titled - "Classical Music Styles and Piano Therapy for Patients with Depressive Disorders". This paper explores how listening to instrumental piano music can significantly reduce symptoms of depression in teenagers. Over the course of a year, participants spent just one hour twice a week immersed in the works of composers like Beethoven, Chopin, and Tchaikovsky—with results showing measurable improvements in mood and mental health. We break down the study’s findings, compare the effects of piano music versus heavy metal, and discuss why music may be one of the most affordable, accessible, and underrated tools for emotional healing. Check out the research paper here! [https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d891/9b3b5f086004dcfe5553cb618ef7f4a63f9f.pdf] You can listen to my piano music on all platforms! Click here to listen. [https://ffm.bio/0rznqer] You can get all my piano sheet music for FREE by joining my FREE patreon! Click here. [https://www.patreon.com/c/matthewcwright] Follow me and the podcast on all social media! Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/matthew_c_wright/] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@matthewcwright] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-wright--/] | X / Twitter [https://x.com/matt_c_wright] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@theanswerismusicpodcast] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/people/Matthew-C-Wright/61579590003154/] | Reddit [https://www.reddit.com/r/matthewcwright/] | Snapchat [https://t.snapchat.com/o9vkPLQg]