In a given day, how often do you listen to music?

erik · Posted 19 Mar 2002 9:30 pm

I always find it odd that music is such an important part of my life yet i hardly ever listen to it. For instance, when i go to work i might pop a tape in... but once i'm working(driving), i listen almost exclusively to talk radio. Occasionally, i turn FM on and go around the dial picking out songs (any genre). On the way home it's either a tape or talk radio. Once i'm home i might watch some reruns on tv, play my guitar, or listen to songs i'm working on. And i go online. Sometimes i download demos from unknowns to hear something different. I never download songs with software, just doesn't interest me. Some days i'll throw a CD on and listn to some tracks. That's about it. So in the course of a day(hey, that's a line in my new song), i might hear music (other than mine) a total of 1 hour. Is this bizarre?

Tom Olson · From: Spokane, WA

Erik,

If you're bizzare, then I'm a total freak. I love music, but in reality, I don't have the time to listen to it at all on most days. Depending on which car I drive, I might listen to music on the radio when I drive, which usually isn't far. If I'm driving the wife's new Focus, which has a nice radio, I'll listen to it. If I'm driving my old Mustang 302, I usually won't bother turning the radio on since it's not much of a radio, and since the car is too darned loud to hear the radio anyway. Every now and then, I might have time to sit down and listen to a CD or two, but not very often.

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

Only when I'm playing it.....is all I listen to music anymore.
I haven't the time to tab right now....so that's out.....when I drive, I like total quiet.
If someone gives me a tape/Cd I listen to it once and remember it(unless it's those select few and ya'll know what those are).
So I reframe from listening to music as it jumbles me brain. I play music for a living; and when I let it in my brain when I'm not playing....it can and does affect my playing our music. I do however love to be influenced by things....so I let those in every now and again....but that's about it.
Ok.....so I'm the biggest freak......"whatever".....ha...
Ricky

Chris Forbes · From: Beltsville, MD, USA

A day without Merle Haggard is like a day without sunshine!! I think I would go nuts if it wasn't for music.

J W Hock · From: Anderson, Texas, USA

I also collect and read about music more than actually listen to it on a daily basis. It is sort of strange to have a such a large collection of albums , cassettes, and CDs and hardly ever listen to it. I suppose I love my music so much that I'm too particular about the situation and the mood I'm in when it's played.
Of course simple age ( early fifties ) could be a factor. Music is a constant part of a young person's life. Whereas to me , just having music being played in the background all the time isn't satisfying any more . Not unless I can sit down, relax , and really enjoy it.

Glenn Suchan · From: Austin, Texas

I have a fairly busy itinerary. However, I will try to listen to music when ever my activity or lack of it permits. Also, I don't limit what I listen to. I'll listen to a mix of everything I can get my hands on. Symphonic, jazz, traditional forms of R&R, R&B, country, folk, bluegrass. I'll listen to secular music and I'll listen to ethnic forms such as Persian, Eastern European, Indian, Malagasy, Tuvan throat singing, Aleut, etc. I'll listen to experimental forms of music because you'll never know what can be discovered when someone "pushes the envelope". The only music I don't listen to very often are the "pop" or "top-40" forms.

I find that, the bigger the variety of music I expose myself to, the bigger the variety of musical ideas I can draw from. I need all the help I can get when I attempt to create on the steel. Plus, I'm a music freak.

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

Greg Vincent · From: Folsom, CA USA

Interesting topic!

It seems that for a lot of people who really love music, it's difficult for them to use it as background "wallpaper" while they're busy doing other things. Possibly, for a music lover, listening to music requires a mental and emotional investment that makes it impossible to listen casually.

As a musician, I find that I can't use music for relaxation purposes because it always starts the gears turning in my head. For example, I find that I'm usually unable to fall asleep to music. Maybe as musicians we sacrifice the ability to use music "recreationally".

I try to set aside one evening a week to sit by myself with the headphones and listen closely to music for a few hours. I call it Music Night! That's really the only opportunity I get to have "quality time" with music. But for me it's real important that I squeeze this time in somehow. I need to relate to music as a listener and "fan" as well as a player. It helps me to remember why I'm trying to play music in the first place.

If I am unable to listen closely, I've found that music becomes something of a distraction and even a bit of an annoyance --like someone constantly tapping you on your shoulder trying to get your attention.

I never would have guessed that things would end up this way!

-GV

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Joerg Hennig · From: Bavaria, Germany

I´d have to say, on a normal day I listen only in the evening when I´m practicing. On my day job I do a lot of driving but leave the radio off, mostly because the programs over here to me are completely annoying. The exceptions would be, when I drive longer distances I usually take some selected tapes along to keep myself awake, and when people drop by that I don´t see very often I might put on some favorite records/CD´s. Or, of course, when I have just acquired a NEW record/CD. But just listening to music in the background is not a habit of mine.

Regards, Joe H.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

On the days that I am on the road, I drive several hours each day. In the morning or the leaving trip, I listen to CD's generally Steel related or band related, on the way home it's silence or the local talking heads on AM radio who are pretty funny.

When I work at home very little music listening, generally it's practice time instead.

TP

Allen · From: Littleton, CO USA

Every day!!
My wife is a classical and new age jazz composer and pianist, also plays acoustic guitar. She also works in the music field of Opera. I am learning to play the steel. She doesn't play the steel and I don't play piano or guitar, but we try to help each other out when we can (chuckle).
We like most music genres, especially country, new age jazz and opera, forget acid rock and rap.
So, music is ingrained in our lives and some form of it is playing in our home most of the time.

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Allen Harry
Mullen D-10, 8 & 6
Nashville 1000

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Allen, you and I have a lot in common, then! My wife is a choral conductor and singer, and has performed in the Spoleto Opera festival in Italy, among other places. My 12-year old son just sang one of the lead roles in Benjamin Britten's opera, The Turn of the Screw at Temple University. We have some kind of music going on around here all the time. Interesting, though, that my own preference is often for more silence...

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The "Master of Acceptable Tone"
www.jimcohen.com

erik · Posted 20 Mar 2002 3:45 pm

So i guess this is not uncommon with people who profess to make music. (I'll paraphrase from various posts), I do agree that hearing music without being able to concentrate on it is distracting. I'm surprised that someone composing New Age Jazz can tolerate Country music. And no, i do not want a copy of "throat singing", not even free off Morpheus!

Martin Abend · From: Berlin, Germany

I listen to music whenever I have the chance to. On the way to the office and back with the underground, while at the office (I work for a record company, so nobodys cares anyway

), when I get home to relax. When I don't listen to music I have it in my head. I remember songs I work on mostly.

without music, I would be nothing.

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martin abend Pedal-Steel in Germany
s-10 sierra crown gearless 3 x4 - Regal RD45 - fender hotrod deluxe

Janice Brooks · From: Pleasant Gap Pa

I'm truely spoiled as I usualy have 10 to 15 cd's in my bag to listen to while I'm cleaning busses. If I get the urge in the evening the sterio computer and steel are in the same room.

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Janice "Busgal" Brooks
ICQ 44729047

Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

Hmm, depends. I work some nights in a couple of video shops and do temp work sometimes as well.
In some cases I have to listen to a top 40 station as it's set, so for the first time in my life I know the chorus to the top #40 all the time. Quite surreal.

I usually have the radio on in the car, rarely use the cruddy tape player (especially after what it did to my copy sampler of the Chess Box Set); my stereo is in a rather poor state of disrepair, the tape player is terrible. The turntable has started to get very worn and the treble has increased so that everything sounds a little bit more 'tinny' than it should.
Even the Cd player which is from the 1980s is startig to give me ahard time with newer CDs.

Still, I listen to a lot of stuff, flip between a couple of alternative Public radio stations to listen to rock, psyche, punk, jazz, bluegrass, rockabilly, Doo Wop, Texas country and trance and dance music.
I especially like late night radio woth experimental electronic music (dance or otherwise), and I've got a thing for groups that blend rock and electronic dance music (the Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Moby, Fatboy Slim, Appollo Four Forty, Orbital, the Propellerheads, Aphex Twin, etc.).

I watch video hits, late night music videos, and I generally watch the Grammies if nothing else is on. I even watch the public TV for Croatian music videos which can be quite funny, while a little Thai place where I sometimes like to eat has Asian music shows and videos on rotation the whole time.
I also love to watch the Eurovision Song Contest, it's a scream and I always try and support Croatia (hey, my partner's Slavic okay) and try and figure why France keep using a Gaelic folk act as their representative.

I usually listen to the stereo all day when I'm home unless I'm catching up with some TV shows I've taped, or if I get suckered into watching a western.
the thing is, I don't actually perform.. so I'm more of a recreational type.

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The future ain't what it used to be

Pat Burns · From: Branchville, N.J. USA

..interesting topic indeed...I used to get Muzak in the office all day long, which is mostly original artist classic pop and some rock...I've moved to a new location in the building where they don't have it and I miss it...

..on the other hand, I also prefer quiet a lot of the rest of the time, I think because I'm bombarded by sensory/information overload and my mind wants to take a few steps back...like Martin, I almost always have music playing in my head, and in my 3 hours of commuting every day I rarely listen to the radio, but I frequently sing in the car (unless I'm sitting at a red light or stopped in traffic)....

...I don't get to listen to music much at home, and usually when I do it's for a specific purpose rather than just listening...

Bill Llewellyn · From: San Jose, CA

Twice a day, maybe..... sometimes when driving (if in the mood for it), or when jogging. At work I find it distracting because I want to pay attention to the music instead of the task at hand, so I have to keep it off.

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Bill L | My steel page | Email | My music | Steeler birthdays | Over 50?

erik · Posted 21 Mar 2002 12:30 am

Pat Burns wrote:

and in my 3 hours of commuting every day I rarely listen to the radio, but I frequently sing in the car (unless I'm sitting at a red light or stopped in traffic)....

3hrs??? My total is 40 minutes and that's plenty, thank you.

Yeah, i sing in the car too. But not at lights or intersections. That's just too embarrassing. I wonder if recording artists sing in their car, but not at lights.

Or, do people like Clapton, or EVH play air guitar to other people's music while they're driving.

erik · Posted 21 Mar 2002 12:34 am

B. Cole wrote:

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

I don't listen to very much music for entertainment because I find it almost impossible to listen to music without isolating the chord progressions into a mental chart to use later if I need to play the song.....this interferes with just listening for pleasure and puts it into a "rehearsal & work" category. www.genejones.com

Franklin · Posted 21 Mar 2002 6:17 am

I listen to music everyday so that I will grow musically. Listening is how I learn through the periods when I can't find the time to practice.

Paul

Bill Terry · From: Bastrop, TX

I have an hour commute to and from work every day, so I usually have some sort of 'home brew' cassettes I listen to, whatever I'm interested in, it varies quite a bit. I also listen to top-40 country some. since I'm playing in a cover band it helps to hear stuff a few times before you have to learn it.

On the way home from gigs at 3:00AM or whatever I'm usually 'beat fried' so I try to find a classical station. Something about classical music is very soothing after drums banging in your ear for 4 hours.

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Home Page

David Pennybaker · From: Conroe, TX USA

If I'm driving, I have to have music on. Only if I'm trying to carry on a conversation with somebody do I really have the music turned way down (or maybe off).

I find music too distracting to listen to at work, etc. I guess I pay too much attention to the word, or listening for some greatlicks.

And yeah, I sing in the car. Sometimes lead, sometimes harmony (even where there's not supposed to be any

), and it ALWAYS sounds so good -- until somebody turns the radio OFF, of course.

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons

Bill Sampler · Posted 21 Mar 2002 10:56 am

Great Topic!

I listen to music almost all day long. On the drive to work, at work, and the drive home. I'm a software developer, so I can put the headphones on and develop while I listen. I have found that the type of music I listen to at work has a big part as to how I write code. I can listen to some blazing Brad Paisley guitar and my keyboard is smoking... or if I have to stop and contemplate something, I will turn on some classical. It seems like most of the time there is an Alan Jackson CD in with Paul Franklin (who is my favorite player) making that steel sing and I get into the 'zone'. I believe that music and my learning to play steel has gotten into my soul.

Also, thanks to everyone here on the forum for making this a great environment to share thoughts and tips. I have really learned alot.

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Bill Sampler
Mullen SD12 Universal 7/5

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Mostly I listen to music that has little to do with what I play. I very rarely listen to music that is performed by bands except for jazz bands. I hear plenty of music by bands when I am on stage with them

Music is like food for me.
If I spend some time with Debussey, Partch and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan I can bring more to the table when it comes time to play.

I have been listening to news radio quite a bit in last year or so but it is so redundant that I think I can learn more about the world from a Charleton solo on an ET tune or a Beethoven string quartet
after all.

Bob

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