We’ve all been there: you have to read a 60-page chapter for your STEM class the next morning. The language is dry, the facts are complicated, and it’s already 6:00 PM after a full day of coursework. What to do…what to do…?
Bookstr is here to solve your Bookish-related problems in life, and we have just the solution! Music is a tool commonly used to make school reading less sluggish and more interesting; however, it can be hard to focus on the subject at hand, let alone remember all those biology terms (and how to spell them) when someone’s singing directly into your ear.
Music is great for boosting academic reading enthusiasm because one can love it for the sound as well as its associations. When you think Taylor Swift, you think breakups. When you think Eminem, you think of fast-pumping rhythms that vibrate through gymnasiums across the world. And when you think Mozart, Beethoven, and Hayden, you’ve been conditioned to think Humanities. What music is there for STEM? Below is a ready-made playlist of songs by various composers that will make your STEM reading both enjoyable and fruitful.
Kurzgesagt: In A Nutshell – Epic Mountain Music & Sound Design
Kurzgesagt is a YouTube channel that summarizes complex scientific and worldly concepts with language and visuals that everyone can understand. That spirit of democratizing science fuses with the background score. With a mixture of electronic and orchestral sound that is neither overpowering nor underwhelming, Kurzgesagt’s 8 Albums and singles will make any STEM reading experience better.
Notable Songs:
- Largest Star – Single
- Dyson Sphere – Vol. 5
- The Human Era – Vol. 7
Melodysheep
Similar to the previous mention, Melodysheep’s music rings out of the background of visual masterpieces that communicate the wonders (and terrors) of the universe we inhabit. The music is double-edged by futuristic excitement and melancholy of the true unimaginable vastness of the cosmos and time.
Notable Songs:
Mission: Impossible – Fallout – Lorne Balfe
If you haven’t seen the movie for context, drop everything and do it! It’ll be worth it. Though reading STEM isn’t as exciting as jumping over buildings, skydiving over Paris, or chasing an enemy in a helicopter, it is something that requires speed, focus, and careful planning. Lorne Balfe’s score for the latest “Mission: Impossible” movie is characterized by its pulsing brass and thundering percussions. Who needs caffeine when there’s epic music to keep your eyes moving.
Notable Songs:
- I Am the Storm
- Free Fall
- Stairs and Rooftops
The Expanse – Clinton Shorter
The Science Fiction genre of film and tv has created a distinct sound for itself—the pulse of strings that give suspense and an air of wonder to a story. “The Expanse” has taken the style to a whole new level; if you’re looking to get your adrenaline pumping during your STEM reading sessions while not sacrificing comprehension, these albums are the ones for you.
Notable Songs:
The Martian (Original Motion Picture Score) – Harry Gregson-Williams
Based on the best-selling book The Martian, here you have a score that’s perfect for those dire late-night reading sessions. With its catchy electronic zing and use of orchestration for emotional power, this score will keep you motivated enough to “work the problem” throughout the semester.
Notable Songs:
- Making Water
- Pathfinder
- Hexadecimals
Featured Image Via Red Diamond Audio