In 1994, then-President Bill Clinton proclaimed September as Classical Music Month. Besides the “Yay! Classical Music!” aspect, this is notable for a couple of reasons. Namely:
1. Two years previous, then-candidate Bill Clinton appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show playing tenor saxophone, honking happily away on “Heartbreak Hotel.” This is credited in some political circles as helping Clinton appeal to younger voters, although how a baby boomer playing an Elvis song appealed to voters who were more likely listening to Cypress Hill, Nirvana or Pantera, is questionable.
2. One year previous, researchers at University of California Irvine played Mozart — Sonata for Two Pianos in D major, K. 448, since you asked — for a group of students and noted a brief (10 to 15 minutes) increase in spatial-reasoning. If you think the notion that playing a few bars of an Elvis tune on late-night television could swing a presidential election is absurd, consider that this modest little study inadvertently spawned a briefly thriving industry as well as myths that continue to this day.
Through the magic of the pre-Internet media (like a game of “Telephone,” only longer), “students work puzzles better for a few minutes after listening to Mozart” became “listening to Mozart will increase your I.Q.” Which is a bit of a leap.
Despite the length of that leap, “Mozart makes you smarter” became settled science in popular culture, spawning warehouses full of books and CDs aimed at parents and promising to boost their offspring’s mental prowess. Thus did Discman headphones stretched across pregnant women’s bellies become a not-uncommon sight.
Now, we are in no way discouraging anyone from listening to Mozart. And we’re relatively sure that listening to Mozart won’t make you dumber. But the intellectual gains were overstated a bit.
In fact, even the modest conclusions of the 1993 study were questioned when researchers replicating it had inconsistent results. Listening to Mozart may in some cases improve spatial-reasoning, but it mostly did so with subjects that enjoyed Mozart.
So listening to Mozart won’t automatically raise anyone’s IQ. But Mozart and a host of other classical composers can raise your spirits. The music can comfort, inspire, amuse.
Classical music isn’t a tool to improve test scores. It’s an expression of humanity in all its sad and ecstatic glory.
It’s easier than ever to explore classical music. A smartphone and earbuds are all you need to access centuries of music. You can also Google “classical music near me” to find opportunities to hear the music live, from orchestras to chamber groups to solo recitals and beyond. It may not make you smarter, but your soul will feel richer.