The Best Classical Music For The Classroom

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Smart Classroom Management: The Best Classical Music For The ClassroomClassical music has many wonderful benefits for the classroom.

Studies have shown that it can . . .

reduce stress and anxiety.

improve memory.

increase productivity.

enhance concentration.

raise well-being.

spark creativity.

I like to put the music on as students are entering the classroom and carrying out their first routine of the day. It helps set the tone and puts them in the proper mindset for learning.

It also has a strong calming effect and helps keep excitability at bay.

Over the years I’ve developed my favorite compositions that include both the classical period (1720-1830) as well as more contemporary classical music.

They’ve brought so much joy and peace to me and my students that I thought I’d share them with you—in no particular order.

Enjoy!

Gymnopedie No. 1

Clarinet Concerto Adagio

Echo

Vide Cor Meum

Adagio for Strings

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

Hoppipolla

Concerto for Two Violins

Thursday

Nocturne op. 9 No. 2

Piano Concerto No. 23

Opus 23

Cello Suite No. 1

Claire De Lune

Suite for Orchestral No. 3

Brandenburg Concerto No. 3

Finding Beauty

Adagio in G Minor

Good For You, Too

Some of the above selections are more jaunty than others and thus lend themselves to heightening mood and positive energy, while others are best for their calming effect.

All, however, are astonishingly beautiful.

They work well for routines, transitions, and occasionally even during independent work. I recommend downloading the pieces you like best from iTunes or Amazon so you’re not interrupted by annoying ads.

You’ll find classical music good for you, too. Listen on your way to school or put it on in the background while working in your classroom.

The research on classical music and stress is especially compelling, but I just like the way it makes me feel and how it gets me into a faster and deeper state of flow.

If you’re a Pandora subscriber and just want to put the music on and forget about it, my favorite stations are Classical for Studying, Yo-Yo Ma, and This Will Destroy You.

If you get a chance, please leave a comment below and include your own favorite classical pieces and/or Pandora stations. I know I would appreciate it, and I think others would too.

Thanks for reading.

-Michael

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80 thoughts on “The Best Classical Music For The Classroom”

  1. Hello Michael,
    Thank you for this post.
    As the school year comes to an end it can be very stressful.
    I have Pandora and use Classical Music for Studying often.
    I was pleased to read that I’m doing the right thing for my students and myself.
    Bless you,
    Janice
    Grade 3 Teacher
    San Diego, California

    Reply

    • Hi Michael

      I cannot tell you how thrilled and delighted I was to read this article. I have just retired after teaching for 40 years and have always tried to use music in the classroom, especially when deep thought is required (e.g during creative writing). Initially I would meet with some resistance, and sometimes children would ask to choose their own music. However I explained that music was a message, and I didn’t want them to play music that told them to dance when they should have been concentrating. By the end of the year they would ask for the music and discuss how calming, soothing and mood enhancing it was. In the words of ABBA , “Thank you for the music”.

      Maria MacKay
      Former High School English Teacher
      Wellington
      New Zealand

      Reply

  3. Thank you for all the information you share weekly. I try to incorporate the advice in my classroom, the information you provide is simple, straight to the point and timely. Thank you again 😊

    Reply

  4. Good morning! Michael,

    I look forward to reading your weekly article every Saturday morning! I have been admiring and following your advice for many years.
    Thank you for sharing your wisdom with all of us!

    Reply

  6. I read an in-depth article (can’t remember it now) that claimed that video game scores are written to promote relaxation and focus, so players can really get into the game. With that in mind, I bought the score to Assassin’s Creed Origins. (I’m a history teacher.) The music is very well done, the kids like having something familiar to listen to, and it does seem to help in class.

    Reply

  9. More ideas for music to put one in a calm, thoughtful mood:
    Jupiter from The Planets by Holst
    Hebrides Overture by Mendelssohn
    Any of the string symphonies by Mendelssohn
    Grand Canyon Suite by Grofe
    Anything by David Diamond
    Fanfare for a Common Man by Copland
    Anything by Bach that’s NOT Toccata and Figure in D minor
    The Four Seasons by Vivaldi
    And even though it’s not altogether classical, not altogether jazz, it fits the bill: Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano by Bolling

    These are what come to mind immediately, but I will add that I wish my composer list were more diverse and representative of the races, genders, and ethnicities of my students. I hope to look at the comment feed later and see if others may have fulfilled my wish.

    Reply

  10. Thank you sooooo much for the list of classical pieces for the classroom. I always wanted to add some classical music to the background in my art classes, but didn’t really know what to choose. You’ve made it simple. MT

    Reply

  14. Thank you for this post. I just listened to Claire de Lune and was brought back to my childhood. My dad used to play this on the piano.

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  16. Great share, Michael. I’ve already found myself randomly selecting some of these compositions for a few minutes of listening and solitude. Next week, we begin state assessments, so I need to quiet my mind.

    Reply

  17. I fell asleep at night, as a child, listening to my father play Clair de Lune on the piano. Another Debussy favorite of mine is Reverie. Very calming. Thanks for this list!

    Reply

  19. Great idea! Check out “Truth” by Ramin Djawadi, it carries a lot of feelings. River flows in you by Yiruma can’t go wrong, either. I liked Claire de Lune so much that I learned it on piano. I plan to play it for the students as a calming effect the next time it feels appropriate. I look forward to it!

    Reply

  22. Lorie line on Pandora is great! My first graders enjoy it. It’s a mix of calm, contemporary songs, and some worship. They’re all done on the piano with no vocals.

    Reply

  23. So many of your suggestions are on my Prime Music playlists! I often play instrumental classical and jazz music in my high school English Classroom, and I also listen to it a lot as I’m reading and writing for my graduate studies. Thanks for the link to the research on classical music’s effects on stress!

    Reply

  24. Are they ok for sixth and sevenh graders too? When I come into the classroom, students are in already, how may I use classical music in those grades? Thanks in advance

    Reply

  25. Long time reader, first time commenter.
    What a well-timed post. Although I love music and thoroughly enjoy classical pieces, my knowledge is limited. Thank you so much not only for your suggestions, but for those of your followers in the comment section.
    I thank you Michael, every day for helping me be my best.

    Reply

  26. As an elementary music teacher, I wholeheartedly endorse this! Bach and other Baroque era composers are outstanding for focus because they are generally quite rhythmic. Romantic composers like Debussy and Ravel can inspire creativity. And I love that the social studies teacher includes Assasin’s Creed music. You can extend this even further by looking up music that was composed in a time period or region of the world you might be studying, and casually mention it to the class. Then stand back and watch the questions fly! It’s amazing how much more they want to know about the context when you connect it to a sensory experience. Warning: you may go on tangents or be motivated to research more!

    Reply

  27. Hello! This was a fun post for me. I have used the song “Presidential Hornpipe” as my cleanup music for years! I made my own Amazon playlist of Classical music and included many of the songs you recommended. I also included some Harry Potter instrumental as well as Meet Joe Black music and music from the Little Women soundtrack. The mix is really wonderful. Thanks for all the great suggestions!

    Reply

  28. I’m an art specialty teacher in elementary school and the six times a day clean up routine was wearing me out. A few years ago I started playing Pharrell Williams song “Happy”, but Vocal Point’s (Brigham Young University acappella group) version. Now all I have to do is turn that song on and all the kids start cleaning up. I don’t have to say anything.

    Thank you for your play list! I will use it when the kids are working on their projects.

    Reply

  29. My principal (who tends to micro-manage everything) has suggested music in the past, but she doesn’t like my classical selections. She thinks that music in the classroom should all just be super-calming, and that I should only play the movements that are really slow. While I agree that some pieces would just make students more boisterous, I like exposing my kids to more of the music than just the slow parts, especially if it’s while doing something like eating breakfast in the classroom. You have selections on here that are way more exciting than anything I was using! Too many students think classical music is boring, and I think it’s partly because they only hear the slow parts. It used to be that kids heard classical music in cartoons, but how many of them watch Looney Tunes anymore?

    Reply

  30. I do pay $4.99 a month for ad-less Pandora. I use Baroque Radio, Classical for Studying, Native Flute Ensemble, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Celtic.

    On rainy days, when everyone is sleepy, I use Mannheim Steamroller, Thomas Bergersen, and Instrumental #1 Jazz.

    Reply

  31. Hello Michael
    I use classical music and sprinkle a little lavender oil around my classroom when creating a calm atmosphere.
    Works a treat!

    Jay Klinac
    Mt Barker Community College
    Western Australia

    Reply

  34. I first heard Gymnopedie #1 in a city college dance class. Then I heard it on “My Dinner with Andre.” I later learned how to play it. I found out that the composer, Satie, was very innovative for his time.

    Reply

  36. Thank you for getting the word out about classical music, Michael!

    A quick tip for eliminating ads: I download the free browser add-on “Adblock Plus” to each school computer I need to use in just a few seconds, and voila! Ads are blocked! No more inappropriate or annoying interruptions!

    (And if for any reason you should need to enable ads, you can always disable the adblocker.)

    Reply

  37. I use Pandora almost every day. My students know what kind of day I’m having by the type of music that is playing. It’s quite interesting how music can be such a connection to rapport. My favorite classical stations are Yanni, Lindsey Stirling, Mannheim Steamroller, and Trans Siberian Orchestra. I usually play classical when reviewing or assessing.

    Reply

  40. Thanks for this great list of classical music! My students really enjoy having music during independent work time. Our favorite Pandora Radio stations from calmest to more energetic are:
    Acoustic New Age
    The Piano Guys
    Classical Goes Pop
    Lindsey Stirling
    Film Scores
    Afrobeat

    I found it was worth paying the $60 for a year of ad-free listening and an enjoyable learning environment!

    Reply

  41. Wonderful suggestions, both in the article and the comments. I agree about Glenn Gould!

    To the commenter who wondered about representing diverse composers: for music lovers, jazz is the other great musical form; as with classical music, it takes time and attention to develop an understanding and appreciation for it. For mornings in the classroom, I especially like jazz piano: Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans (who’s white but played with many musicians of color), Duke Ellington, Herbie Hancock.

    Reply

  42. I will be a 1st year teacher in August and have been wondering which classical music to incorporate. Thank you very much for your article!

    Reply

  44. My students are liking having lo-fi hip hop in the background. There is a lot of resisitance from Maori students to any classical music, and lo-fi has similar effects due to the similar tempo…

    Reply

  46. Love your ideas… It would be helpful if you would list the composers since I think some of those selections are a bit too general.

    Reply

  47. How do you get over the “I don’t like this music” comments that a lot of students have about classical music? I am a band teacher, so I try to combat those comments all of the time, especially when I am working on a piece of music that is a transcription of those older pieces.

    Reply

  48. My Kinders now ask for music during Writing Workshop time. They LOVE the peace it gives, helps them focus on only what THEY are doing, and it fills the sound space enough so they don’t attend to the movement of all of their classmates during this time. I usually put on a “classical for children” CD. I will try Pandora or Amazon though. Honestly didn’t think about it!
    Thanks for the validation AND the music suggestions!

    Reply

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