may seem like the title of a strange post. Perhaps.
Allow me to offer a tale.
As the first of my four AP US Government & Politics students were coming in, the final movement of Mozart's Symphony #41 in C Major, K 551, aka The Jupiter, was playing. I told them as they picked up their pencils and scantrons for a scheduled quiz that it was one of the great productions of the human mind. I also remarked in passing that some studies seemed to indicate that listening to Mozart made some people perform better on intellectual exercises. After a brief discussion, we decided to leave it on while they were taking their quizzes.
Normally they would have had 15 minutes for 20 multiple choice questions. Given the music I allowed them 18, which gave them around 10 minutes after the music was finished. I gave the same time to the other three classes.
The overall performance of that first class was the highest of any of the four. Normally the overall performance tends to be the 2nd lowest.
Strictly anecdotal, offered without any judgment.
Oh, and before you criticize me - on multiple choice, all students get to correct their errors and explain why the new answer is correct for half credit.
Make of it what you will.