Give it a Try, it’s DIY! Let’s Make Speakers

Contents

1. How to make your very own speakers
2. How does music help with studying?
3. What are the benefits of music?

If your teen is a music fan or likes listening to podcasts, they will love our latest DIY vid. All you need are a few household bits and a steady hand. And once you’ve both finished crafting, read on to discover the many ways music positively affects our lives. 🙌

How to make your very own speakers

The great thing about letting your crafty and creative side come out to play is that not only does it allow for bonding time with your teen, but it helps you save your pennies too! This DIY video is for all the music fans, podcast lovers and YouTube buffs out there.  

For your speakers, you’ll need:

• Two paper cups
• Cardboard or a kitchen paper roll tube
• Glue
• A Stanley knife (or a small sharp knife) ⚠️ please be careful when handling knives ⚠️
• A pen
• Tape (coloured tape will look extra jazzy if you have it 😎)

OK, let’s go!

1. Roll your piece of cardboard into a tube. If you have a kitchen paper roll tube, you don’t need to do steps 1 or 2.
2. Along the exposed cardboard edge, apply glue.
3. Hold the tube against one of the paper cups and draw around the end of the tube with a pen making a circle.
4.  Carefully cut around the drawn circle using the knife. You should now have a circle-shaped hole.
5. Slide the tube partway into the cup.
6. Where the tube meets the cup at the hole entrance, apply tape all the way around so that the tube stays in place.
7. Repeat steps 3-6 using the other cup.
8. Take your phone, rest it in the centre of the tube and lightly draw around the bottom.
9. Use the knife to carefully cut out this shape. It needs to be slightly bigger than the actual bottom of the phone so that the phone can slide in easily.
10. Slide your phone into its place and voila – crank up those tunes!

How does music help with studying?

The debate of whether music helps with study has always been controversial: if it does help, what music should we listen to and how loud should it be? If it’s unhelpful, how detrimental can it be? Should kids study in complete silence?

The findings of one study show that the cognitive performance of undergraduates during a test was better when background music was playing than when there was complete silence. When the music was on, the students answered more questions, and more questions were correct.

There is also the so-called "Mozart effect", a phenomenon that is believed to occur when people listen to Mozart’s sonata for two pianos in D major (also known as K.448). Research shows that, during a study, subjects displayed significantly better spatial reasoning skills after listening to this complex classical piece; however, after further research took place, it was suggested that maybe music doesn’t make us smarter but just puts us in a better mood and therefore motivates us.

So, while the debate continues, we think it’s best that kids and teens do what feels right for them. Some people can concentrate better in silence, and others find focus easier with some tunes on. However, if they want to avoid distraction, it’s best to keep the volume right down. ⬇️

What are the benefits of music?

Besides helping students concentrate and do better in exams, music also benefits us in other ways. 🎵

•  It boosts creativity

A study has shown that listening to happy music increases divergent thinking – the thought process needed to come up with creative ideas and solutions. So, if your teen is feeling uninspired, encourage them to listen to some cheery tunes and wait for those lightbulb moments to flow. If they like getting arty, they should check out how to make their own friendship bracelets. 💖

• It elevates mood
  

Dopamine, also known as the "feel-good hormone", can increase when we listen to music. So next time your teen seems down in the dumps, put on their favourite beats and hopefully, there’ll be smiles all around. 😃

•   It helps with exercise

We know we’re not just speaking for ourselves when we say that exercising with no music is unenjoyable, to say the least. Whether your teen likes to run, do home workouts or go to the gym, listening to music while they exercise can increase motivation and spur them on to finish. 💪

• It reduces stress

•  It helps us eat less

While we wholeheartedly believe that everyone should love their body, it’s always a good idea to be mindful of what and how we eat. This is why it’s interesting to know that listening to soothing music (and sitting in soft lighting) can help us eat less and enjoy our food more –  a win-win if you ask us!

If your teen liked making speakers, we think they’d love to learn how to make a stress ball – something that could come in handy when they’re feeling anxious.  

Want to know something else that could help teens with their studies? Our excellent tutors! Book a free trial lesson today and let us show you how we can help. 🥰