Is it true that classical music brings up my IQ?

Answer 1

No, it doesn't make you smarter or bring up your IQ. However, if you listen to classical music while taking a test, you will probably do better on the test.

I don't know why I got a thumbs down, here's the original article showing the test taking improvement by listening to classical music.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v365/n6447/abs/365611a0.html

here's where the later 'Mozart Effect' has been discredited, and the original study's effect is small enough that it hasn't really been repeated. In other words, the answer is it won't improve your IQ as I originally mentioned.

http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/research/ob_heath_mozarteffect.shtml

Answer 2

No I don't think it can bring up your IQ. It can make you more educated and "cultured", however. - the avid listener of classical music, by default, learns about many different composers and cultural differences in music; (s)he learns of instrumentation, poetry and literature (which is often the basis for classical pieces), the visual arts, theatre, ballet, film, etc...all these areas are affected by classical music and in certain cases cannot exist without classical music.

It also can help one gain an interesting perspective on European and American history (many classical works deal with real stories and periods of time); Mathematics (esp in 20th/21st cent wks - think Boulez, Ligeti, Xenakis, etc - they use serialism, fractal geometry, and other methods); Religion (think Asian Composers like Chen Yi and Bright Sheng and also the music of John Cage). There are soooo many other examples...

But getting back to IQ....I have heard that in young children...classical music can increase motor skills and coordination as well as improve a child's creativity, which has been linked to high IQ scores. That's the most I have heard, though.

Answer 3

Unfortunately I would never do better in a test with music playing as I would only be able to concentrate on the music.

Music sets a mood,Mozart may clear your head giving it room to think more clearly.Just like playing James Brown gets the house work down quicker.

Answer 4

Certain pieces of music help with test scores, because the phrase lengths correspond to certain brain pattern length. I believe it's something like 12 seconds - the composer who most often has phrases of this length is Mozart; it has been shown that people perform better if they listen to Mozart whilst doing tests, but it doesn't make them MORE intelligent, merely aids them in their concentration.

Answer 5

I'm not sure about this, but I know it'll make your brain grows faster, by other means, make you easily understand what is learned. I read an article before, claiming that Strauss' Blue Danube helps brain growth.

Answer 6

No, as I have pointed out in previous posts... if this was possible we could play it 24 /7 in the Senate and House and "improve" our politicians.