A local artist has launched a new music project designed to help people manage stress, anxiety and concentration challenges.
Paul Taylor has created AarDHD, a project focused on producing functional audio to support focus and calm, particularly for people with ADHD. The project’s first release is a ten-minute ambient track titled ‘Flow State’.
The track was created following Paul’s own experience of being diagnosed with ADHD and autism, and his search for music that genuinely helped him concentrate.
I needed something that could calm my head down without being either boring or distracting. A lot of the focus music I found felt very clinical and monotonous. I wanted to create something that works as a tool, but also stands on its own as a piece of music. – Paul Taylor
Paul worked with producer Barry Diston at Fidget Studios to develop the track. An 11Hz binaural beat has been subtly embedded into the composition, a frequency associated with the brain’s alpha wave range, which is linked to relaxed alertness. The effect is created by gently shifting the pitch of stereo instrument layers and is designed to be experienced when listening through headphones.
‘Flow State’ is the first release from the AarDHD project, and Paul hopes that streaming and purchases will help fund the creation of a full album of similar tracks. Each piece will be designed to support relaxation, concentration and focus while working or studying.
The track is available to stream and purchase across major platforms.
Listen and find out more:
- YouTube: youtu.be/VFdMHpsqjYY
- All streaming services: distrokid.com/hyperfollow/aardhd/flow-state
- Project website: aardhd.uk
Sounds interesting, do you think it would help people with dementia with concentration?
Hi. There is research that suggests binaural beats at 40Hz (gamma frequency) may help with dementia. MIT and elsewhere are looking at whether it might help clear amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer’s.
However, this tune – Flow State – uses 11Hz (alpha frequency), which is designed for focus and relaxation rather than the specific gamma entrainment being studied for dementia. There’s no direct research suggesting 11Hz helps with dementia specifically, though the general calming and focus effects might be beneficial for some people, and it certainly can’t hurt to give it a try.
In the future, I’ll certainly look at making something with 40hz entrainment embedded in it, specifically for people living with dementia.