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Reading and listening at the same time...

MUTTY1

MUTTY1

Waste of bandwidth
Because of all the Wokeness ATM I’m reading Empire by Niall Ferguson; a not too popular take on our old ways given the current climate but has sold a few copies in its time. I find I like some music in the background when I read intently which is odd in itself? I found Miles Davies Blue fitted nicely which is also odd as he could have easily been denied a trumpet in them dark days... it’s a long read so what music do you recommend whilst doing something completely different?
 
For the last 50 or more years I have worked and read to music - I find it helps reduce the effect of extraneous noises. I generally choose music without words (classical, Vangelis, Mike Oldfield, Rinne Radio...) It all started with Radio 3 (probably still called the Third Programme at the time) concerts while doing my homework despite the four brothers and sisters.

On a similar note my wife finds knitting helps her concentrate on audio books.
 
These are the sounds you're looking for:


Incidentally, when two events occur in tandem often enough and with a pleasurable effect, neurons wire together in the brain to seal the 'rightness' of the compound experience, a habit-forming experience, you might say. It has its positives, but it also has its negatives depending on the stimuli involved and the emotional experience generated. Going for a run whilst listening to music if done often enough together can lead to such an enjoyable experience that one can maintain one's fitness quite happily as the net experience will invariably be positive. Conversely, watching TV and binging on junk food if done often together can result in 'weight-gaining couch potato' syndrome.

You've obviously chosen two activities that work in a positive way for you so well done :)
 
Sometimes, if I have a new component in the system, I just put something on in the background and read a magazine, or catch up with pfm, or something like that. If the music still gets my attention, that's usually a promising sign.
 
Bjork67 said:
Completely the opposite here, cannot concentrate whilst listening to music.
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Same here. I used to be able to 'multitask' in that way, but now I find I either don't hear the music if I focus on what I'm reading, or don't take in what I'm reading if I listen to the music.
 
Joe Hutch said:
Same here. I used to be able to 'multitask' in that way, but now I find I either don't hear the music if I focus on what I'm reading, or don't take in what I'm reading if I listen to the music.
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I don't multitask well, either, and have never been able to have music on in the background while working, for example. But I do find the extent to which music 'breaks through' can be informative when auditioning new kit at home.
 
Covid19-homeworking has been for me a good excuse to set up a second system in my men’s cave-turned-office, the main advantage of which is physical separation between speakers and wife :). Now I listen to classical and jazz all the time while working, at around 65db at listening position (I tend to lose my concentration if louder).
 
When I was a kid - from about 12 onwards - I was always reading and listening to music. I did this as a student as well. I rarely did anything in silence.

These days my mind struggles to process both although I do listen to music while scrolling through the internet . Otherwise I increasingly find I want to concentrate on one and the other becomes a distraction.

Its increasingly rare for me to read and listen at the same time and when I do I get a little obsessed in trying to find music that matches what I'm reading, almost like soundtracking a movie. I've recently finished In Memory of Memory by Maria Stepanova, a book exploring family memory in Russia and France in the later 19th and early 20th century and played some Beethoven piano sonatas while reading as they were mentioned in the book. I've got Rainald Goetz's Rave in m reading queue - the soundtrack for that should be quite straightforward.
 
wylton said:
My wife is the opposite of me; she can read with any amount of background noise.
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Background noise is different. I grew up in a small, noisy house and had I not been able to 'switch off' that noise, I'd never have been able to read or do any homework. I'd get so absorbed in what I was reading that I wouldn't hear anything quieter than a bomb going off. I can still ignore extraneous noise, but (probably just for that reason) I don't take in any music that's playing when I read.
 
Joe Hutch said:
Background noise is different. I grew up in a small, noisy house and had I not been able to 'switch off' that noise, I'd never have been able to read or do any homework. I'd get so absorbed in what I was reading that I wouldn't hear anything quieter than a bomb going off. I can still ignore extraneous noise, but (probably just for that reason) I don't take in any music that's playing when I read.
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It is a useful skill to be sure. It works out ok for us, because especially when we're on holiday, I can put some music on in the evening and she will sit and read.
 
MUTTY1 said:
Because of all the Wokeness ATM I’m reading Empire by Niall Ferguson; a not too popular take on our old ways given the current climate but has sold a few copies in its time. I find I like some music in the background when I read intently which is odd in itself? I found Miles Davies Blue fitted nicely which is also odd as he could have easily been denied a trumpet in them dark days... it’s a long read so what music do you recommend whilst doing something completely different?
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I can't read with music on and I prefer to work in the office without music. I never listen to music whilst walking or cycling either. I always listen to music (and more recently podcasts) whilst driving, surfing the net, cooking or doing odd jobs at home.

Cheers BB
 
An interesting phenomenon (and I don't even know who to thank for that) is that my (rather cheap) dreamer/DAC politely pauses the music whenever someone tries to call me, whether on my cell or via Zoom/Teams...
 
It depends on the music and the reading material.

Reading crap on here, no problem. Reading a tricky book, maybe one with no pictures, can't do that with music on.

When I used to draw and paint I pretty much had to have music one. Could work without it but I found it helped keep me going.

Wokeness is evil! Critical race theory has raised its head before but unfortunately it is not being stomped on this time. The irony seems totally lost on its advocates. It is by definition racism!
 
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