Can you recommend music that doesn’t hinder, and might even help with, homework?
The Doctor has three young children and can recommend a soundtrack to create serious absorption in study. The old “Mozart for babies” concept is wearing a bit thin, so I’d go for the opposite: replace that supposed tranquillity with an altogether more vital and inspiring soundscape.
Wake the senses with a blast of brass from Homework by Otis Rush. “I can’t do my homework any more,” Rush screams, atop the funkiest of backing tracks. Spin on your socked feet, then hunker down to prove that, ultimately, yes, you can.
Next, let the music of Canadian Tim Hecker take over. The son of two art teachers, his young ears would have been bombarded with creative manifestos. His Mirages album has electronics and guitars that build with an intensity guaranteed to keep those brain cells focused. If you prefer inspiration from a more local source, Luke Abbott hails from Norwich and his music ploughs a similar sonic field: check out Wysing Forest for an intense and fiery mental workout.
The whole idea is not to let the head drop. Brian Eno may be an obvious choice, but let’s throw in his one-time collaborator, the magnificent Robert Fripp, as another option. His At The End Of Time album is a masterstroke: he creates a symphony in sound, and takes you on a trip intense enough to get any piece of work rocking in the right direction.
To ensure maximum concentration, choose music with some familiarity, but also an invigorating twist – like Dylan Howe’s Subterranean, with its electronic versions of David Bowie’s 70s albums. And when it’s all over, take a little wind-down time: a nice, cool glass of mango, and Otis back on the decks for another groovy turn.‘Oh baby, I may be a fool, Wastin’ my time by goin’ to school, The way you got me lovin’ you so, I can’t do my homework anymore.’
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