Math/Science: Trip Hop A number of us at Penn agree: math and science can be scary. Come this finals season many will be joining the legions of students studying for a math or science exam, and it's nice to know that the antidote to their fears exists in trip hop. The music is characterized by a mellow versatility that provides the ideal background to problem sets. If you’re slipping into a chem-induced coma, try “Karmacoma,” a collaboration between pioneers Massive Attack and Tricky. If you’re making a cheat sheet, pop in Portishead’s classic album Dummy. The music is smooth enough not to distract, and it has more in common with those fact-based subjects than you might think: they’re all bizarre, beautiful messes. — Elena Gooray
Organic Chemistry: The Wackness soundtrack If a slew of heterocyclic compounds have got you down, the cure, we assure you, is smoothness. And the smoothest sound we know is some fresh, early '90s hip hop. So rock out to this gloriously slick collection of headnod-inducing rhymes, which will compel previously incomprehensible organic chains to rearrange themselves into a model of clarity. Rhymers like Biggie embody the appropriate amount of angst necessary for a problem set, while the Tribe carries you through with their healthy dose of nonchalance. And then, when you’re all done, Neil Young is there to sing you to sleep with “Out on the Weekend.” — Joe Pinsker
English: Verbose Indie If you're writing an English paper, your interests probably lie on the indie side of the musical spectrum — read: the cardigan-wearing, hyper-literate likes of The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens, Belle and Sebastian and Bright Eyes. You should also pay heed to the classic heroes: Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Simon and Garfunkel. Their lyrically-rich songs are ideal inspirations for your lengthy papers. After all, who needs lame instrumentals when you have poetry? — Daniel Felsenthal
History: (Real) Oldies The back-breaking load of a primary source reading is often made easier if you put yourself in a historical mindset. That's why it helps to listen to some oldies — real oldies — to set the mood for your studying. Vivaldi’s “Concerto for Two Mandolins” is an extremely soothing piece that keeps you calm and focused as history's deadliest battles make your blood boil. And if you’re a rock 'n' roll purist, have no fear, for the Section Quartet has released multiple albums of rock songs played entirely on classical instruments. Noteworthy tracks include Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love,” Kiss’s “Detroit Rock City,” The Clash’s “London Calling” and Led Zeppelin’s “Heartbreaker.” Let the music take you back in time, and tackle that reading with ease. — Colette Bloom
Foreign Language: Post-Rock The ideal soundtrack for a foreign language study session must have lengthy track times that continue playing until the work is finished. The beats need not be too fast-paced or pounding in a way that’s overly distracting. But most of all, there shouldn't be lyrics — nothing to direct any conscious attention away from the work. These requirements all point to one genre: instrumental, or post-rock. After all, there isn't much that makes thinking and speaking in a new language harder than someone yammering English in your ears. In particular, the cosmic swells of Mogwai or the electro-ambient jazz of Tortoise are sure to get you to buckle down. — Christopher Graham
— Daniel Felsenthal
History: (Real) Oldies The back-breaking load of a History major’s reading if often made easier if you put yourself in a historical mindset. That is why, as finals approach, I find it helps to listen to some oldies — real oldies — to set the mood for history studying. You’ve certainly heard that classical music makes you smarter, but have you ever completed a difficult reading with nothing but Beethoven blasting in your headphones? Vivaldi’s “Concerto for Two Mandolins” is an extremely soothing piece that keeps you calm and focused as battles and wars begin to boil your blood. Edward Elgar’s “Enigma Variations,” with its many complex reinterpretations of a single theme, keeps you confident that you can weed out all the fancy flourishes provided by grandiloquent historians to find the heart of the matter. And if you’re a rock and roll purist, believing that you can only study to the sounds of classic rock greats, have no fear, for The Section Quartet has released multiple albums of rock songs played entirely on classical instruments. Noteworthy tracks include Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love,” Kiss’s “Detroit Rock City,” The Clash’s “London Calling” and Led Zeppelin’s “Heartbreaker.” Let your music take you back in time to a place without the distractions of modern-day technology, and tackle that reading with ease. — Colette Bloom
Foreign Language: Post rock For someone like me, the ideal soundtrack for a foreign language study session must meet certain criteria: the songs should have lengthy track times that continue playing until the work is finished. The beats are not too quick-paced or pounding in a way that’s overly distracting. But most of all, there are no lyrics — nothing to direct any conscious attention away from my studies. These requirements all point to one genre: instrumental, or post rock. After all, there aren’t many things that make trying to think and speak in a new language more difficult than someone yammering English in your ears. The cosmic swells of Mogwai or the electro-ambient jazz of Tortoise are sure to get you to buckle down. The sonic explosions of “Mogwai Fear Satan” are pretty epic. - Christian Sarkis Graham
