▁voc ational ▁training ." ▁Research ers ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Wisconsin ▁suggested ▁that ▁students ▁with ▁piano ▁or ▁keyboard ▁experience ▁performed ▁ 3 4 % ▁higher ▁on ▁tests ▁that ▁measure ▁spatial - tem por al ▁lo be ▁activity , ▁which ▁is ▁the ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁brain ▁that ▁is ▁used ▁when ▁doing ▁mathematics , ▁science , ▁and ▁engineering . ▁ ▁An ▁experiment ▁by ▁W anda ▁T . ▁Wal lace ▁setting ▁text ▁to ▁mel ody ▁suggested ▁that ▁some ▁music ▁may ▁aid ▁in ▁text ▁recall . ▁She ▁created ▁a ▁three ▁verse ▁song ▁with ▁a ▁non - rep et itive ▁mel ody ; ▁each ▁verse ▁with ▁different ▁music . ▁ ▁A ▁second ▁experiment ▁created ▁a ▁three ▁verse ▁song ▁with ▁a ▁repet itive ▁mel ody ; ▁each ▁verse ▁had ▁exactly ▁the ▁same ▁music . ▁ ▁A ▁third ▁experiment ▁studied ▁text ▁recall ▁without ▁music . ▁ ▁She ▁found ▁the ▁repet itive ▁music ▁produced ▁the ▁highest ▁amount ▁of ▁text ▁recall , ▁suggesting ▁music ▁can ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁m nem onic ▁device . ▁ ▁Smith ▁( 1 9 8 5 ) ▁studied ▁background ▁music ▁with ▁word ▁lists . ▁ ▁One ▁experiment ▁involved ▁memor izing ▁a ▁word ▁list ▁with ▁background ▁music ; ▁participants ▁re called ▁the ▁words ▁ 4 8 ▁hours ▁later . ▁ ▁Another ▁experiment ▁involved ▁memor izing ▁a ▁word ▁list ▁with ▁no ▁background ▁music ; ▁participants ▁also ▁re called ▁the ▁words ▁ 4 8 ▁hours ▁later . ▁ ▁Part icip ants ▁who ▁memor ized ▁word ▁lists ▁with ▁background ▁music ▁re called ▁more ▁words ▁demonstr ating ▁music ▁provides ▁context ual ▁c ues