Scientists and researchers and Florida National University have published a study that highlights the benefits of music and its power to help students.
 
People have found that music activates both sides of the brain which can lead to maximizing learning and memory retention.
 
The most obvious benefit to listening to music while doing schoolwork is reducing anxiety and stress. Studying while listening to soothing music is proven to decrease blood pressure and one’s heart rate. It is also shown that listening to music has the same effect of getting a massage. Finding the right tunes to help you focus, put you in the right studying mood or create a calming atmosphere is what makes music so dynamic when it comes to schoolwork.
 
Music is also proven to boost performance. Studies have shown that listening to hip-hop music is uplifting for students, giving them an inspiring confidence boost while helping them perform under pressure.
 
Contrary to what some might think, music is not a distraction but supports the brain to pay attention better. Classics like Mozart, Bach and Beethoven have been proven to help students categorize information, an essential aspect to studying. Musical activity is a form of exercise, and utilizing it as a tool can help train our brains to function at a higher level later on.
 
Lastly, music has been proven to serve as a memory trigger. Our brains looks for patterns to understand information, and that’s why we tend to remember songs better than other memorization tactics.
 
Music is a powerful tool that we can use to soothe, strengthen and support our brain activity. With all its capabilities and positive benefits, its not doubt why people love it so much!
 
For more information see: https://www.fnu.edu/benefits-studying-music/
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1. Portland, Oregon

The Forbidden City of the West is home to indie bands and offers a unique atmosphere focused on intimacy. Some of the bands that have come out of Portland are the Decemberists, She & Him, the Dandy Warhols and the list goes on and on. Portland is also home to the Alberta Rose Theater, Al’s Den, Kelly’s Olympian, and Revolution Hall.

1. Memphis, Tennessee

This comes as no surprise that the old stomping grounds for the King of Rock and Roll is on the list. Elvis, John Lee Hooker, B.B. King and Justin Timberlake are some of the most famous musicians to come from Memphis. Not to mention Beale Street is also an iconic landmark for the city with plenty of cool places like Young Avenue Deli and Blues City Café for food too,

1. LA, California

The City of Angels attractions thousands in hopes of making it big, but it also is a hub for music and music lovers. Los Angeles has a repertoire that ranges from classical music to country to a lively EDM scene. It is also where Guns N’ Roses and Tupac Shakur are from and home to a plethora or record labels and more music venues than we could mention.

1. Seattle, Washington

The music scene in Seattle is known for its 1990s grunge with the likes of Pearl Jam and Nirvana. It is also the birthplace of Jimi Hendrix and others like Macklemore, Death Cab for Cutie and the Shins. Seattle, Washington is also home to bars that are located around Capitol Hill and Belltown. We recommend you check out the Bumbershoot Festival that happens ever September that features the up and coming performers with other big name musicians too.

1. New Orleans, Louisiana

Known for the birth of jazz and second line parades, also known as the funeral processions from the funeral to the cemetery, New Orleans deserves to be on this list. We recommend taking the time to wander around the city on Frenchmen’s Street and on Burbon Street to take advantage of all the live music playing and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival every spring.

1. Chicago, Illinois

When people migrated north after WWII, Chicago became the center for blues and jazz music. “Chicago Blues” became well known to the likes of Buddy Guy and Muddy Waters. Nowadays there is the Chicago Blues Fest that happens every June in the city and Lollapalooza every August. It is also home to Kanye West and Smashing Pumpkins

1. Nashville, Tennessee

Last but not lease we have Nashville rounding out our list! It is the home for country music, musicians and music listeners. This city is also home to the Grand Ole Opry, the country music radio show that to this day records live music. Nashville is home to Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, and Martina McBride!

Founded by Jack White in Detroit Michigan in 2001, Third Man Records has a second location in Nashville that also serves as an HQ, a storefront, live performance venue, and recording studio. This record company still produces both singles and albums primarily on vinyl records.
 
With the motto “Your Turntable’s Not Dead,” Third Man Record’s Nashville location features the Blue Room, the live performance venue. The Blue Room is the only place in the world that records live shows direct-to-acetate, which produces a vinyl master in real-time.
 
Third Man Records also has a phone booth studio where visitors can enter and play an instrument and a 45 vinyl can be pressed of the recording in live time. There is also the Novelties Lounge in the studio where there is a collection of vintage novelty machines like a 16mm jukebox and “Wax-O-Matic” machine which produces wax molds of White’s guitar.
 
We recommend this attraction to music fans and groups who love old vinyl’s and are interested in recording music. To fully experience this attraction, we suggest you allow 90 minutes for the tour and exploring the studios.

New research says music therapy can help babies in the NICU go home sooner.
 
Pioneers at Florida State University and their music therapy program have been researching the positive effects of music in NICUs for over 20 years. Jayne Standley is the director of the program and even helped the FDA invent the Pacifier Activated Lullaby to incentivize feeding.
 
They have found that the music can help to create a sound buffer for the machines and the noises they make. Additionally, music and music therapy helps create stimulation for their neurological system as it continues to develop and destress the baby.
 
All of these benefits can help the babies leave the NICU up to two weeks earlier!

Come and visit the former mansion estate of the King of Rock and Roll. Purchased by Elvis Presley in 1957 for just over $100,000, the former cattle farm turned renovated home is where Elvis lived for over twenty years.
 
Named after the original estate owner, Stephen C. Toof’s daughter, Grace. The estate features five sets of staircases, three grand fireplaces and a kidney-shaped pool. The famous music-themed gates were installed in April of 1957.
 
Graceland became the center hub for Elvis and his life. It is where Elvis lived with his wife, Priscilla Beaulieu, in the first years of their marriage and where Lisa Maria, Elvis’s daughter spent the first years of her life.
 
While on tour, Elvis would have his hotel rooms “renovated” to the same configurations as Graceland with the same furniture for his complete comfort.
 
Elvis’s tombstone is in the Meditation Garden next to the estate and is viewable on mansion tours.
 
In 1991, Graceland was added to the American National Register of Historic Places and is the first landmark that is related to rock and roll to be included on the register. It is the second most-visited house in the country, after to the White House of course, with over 600,000 visitors each year.
 
The grounds feature exhibits like a new car museum, Presley Motors, including the famous pink Cadillac, a radio studio that plays all Elvis music around the clock, his two planes, the Lisa Marie and Hound Dog II. Graceland also includes the personal effects of the musician like his wardrobe, costumes, awards and furniture.
 
We highly recommend this attraction to all music and rock and roll fans and allot for 2-3 hours to fully immerse yourself in all the property has to offer.

​Despite the many statistics and a long list of benefits of music education for children, some schools are choosing to forgo the subject. But music and music education is so incredibly important to kiddos and their growth.
 
For one, studies have found it helps students, regardless of socioeconomic status or school district, score higher on math, reading and spelling exams. Additionally, students who have a music education have been found to have better neural processing pathways and brain development than of students who merely listen to music. Music, gives children better reading comprehension skills, a tool that they can then use in countless other paths and school subjects.
 
It gives students the ability to connect with other people. As it is a very social experience, it encourages them to share their love and passion, and continue to bond with new individuals. It has been found to help students improve their teamwork and collaboration skills.
 
Musical performance helps to solidify all of these skills and teaches kids how to take pride in their skills. Music education and performance do wonders for children and their self-confidence, improving their self-worth too.
 
Other positive benefits of music education but are not limited to:

• Powerful study habits
• Heightened problem-solving skills
• Strengthened hand-eye coordination
• Improved memory
• Developed creative thinking
• Better stress-coping sills

 
Music education gives students a platform to spring from and supports them in other areas of life. It is essential of helping children develop and continuing to expand their education in and out of the classroom. 

​The famous American country music stage was founded in 1925 by George D. Hay. Back then it was known for the one-hour “barn dance” segment on the radio but now it is the longest-running radio broadcast in U.S. history.
 
The Grand Ole Opry is “The Show That Made Country Music Famous,” and aims to honor the music genre and its history along with bluegrass and gospel music too.
 
Membership in the Opry is one of the most prestigious accomplishments for country musicians. In order to be inducted, regular performers must be asked by current members on stage during a live performance. Membership must be maintained for the entire career of the musician with frequent performances and ends when the artists pass away.
 
The Grand Ole Opry attracts thousands of its listeners from all over and is a crowning achievement to the “country music capital” of the nation. Visit to see a backstage tour or buy tickets to a one of a kind live music show.

​The famous New York landmark and building complex was commissioned by the Rockefeller family in 1931. The Rockefeller Center is one-part the original center- Radio City, with the Music Hall and 30 Rockefeller Plaza and one-part International Complex.
                                                 
Initially, it was meant to be the new home for the Metropolitan Opera until the stock market crash of 1929, which left the Opera unable to afford to move. The plans for the Metropolitan Opera were abandoned and John D. Rockefeller Jr. created new designs for the location to become a mass media entertainment complex.
 
The Rockefeller Center is one of the greatest projects of the Great Depression and is known for its architectural Art Deco buildings. The center was declared a New York City landmark in 1985 and a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
 
Whether you are stopping by to see the views from the Top of the Rock, tour Radio City Music Hall, popping in the shops or restaurants, seeing the festive Christmas tree in the plaza or spinning around on the ice skating rink, the Rockefeller Center has something for everyone.

Right in the heart of Cleveland, Ohio and on the shore of Lake Erie, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is the place to go for anyone remotely interested in music and rock and roll. Opened in 1983, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recognizes the most important and influential artists and contributors of rock and roll and the entire history of the music genre.
 
The Hall of Fame was founded by a team of record executives, lawyers, and publishers and soon began inducting artists even before a location for the museum had been decided. Cleveland lobbied for the museum and with the public support, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame moved to the city.
 
Inside the museum, there are seven stories to explore and multiple galleries that highlight the roots of gospel, blues, rhythm and blues, folk, country and bluegrass, all of which have played an important role in rock and roll music. There are also city exhibits for Memphis, Detroit, London, Liverpool, San Francisco, LA, New York and Seattle, all of which had impacts on music. There are plenty of other galleries about specific artists and films galore too.
 
For the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, you need at least two hours minimum to take all the information and history in. We highly recommend this attraction to history buffs and music aficionados.