It’s time to do a little experimenting.
I’ve always preferred a distraction free environment when I do my work, such as getting ready for my classes or writing my blog.
But since it’s Music Monday, I wondered if listening to music while writing my blog would help me (1) come up with more ideas for my blog, and/or (2) help with the process of writing itself.
I did a little bit of background reading, and it seems background music ()no lyrics), such as quiet classical music or ambient noise, like rain, can help with the writing process.
Of course, there are some who say any kind of music is a distraction because you can’t listen and write, such multitasking is too stressful. Others, like Stephen King, prefer to listen to loud music while writing.
So I thought it was time to try it on myself. I’ll find some classical playlist on Spotify, and start playing every day for a week when I sit down to write my blog.
I’ll be curious what the results are, but the best thing about the study is that it gives me material for next week’s blog…
Note: this post was written without any music playing. I plan to start tomorrow.
Always music… all the time… instrumental when I have to concentrate, otherwise, anything goes.
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With headphones, I guess?
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Rarely.
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I prefer total silence if possible, but if it’s between music on headphones or distracting noises like other people’s conversation, then I choose the music. Droning music works best for me, such as the House Focus playlist on Spotify. Metal and post-rock works too.
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I prefer silence, but I thought I’d give music a try. I’ll check out the House Focus playlist – thanks for the recommendation!
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I think listening to music might help improve song writing. Why don’t you write and post a bunch of original songs this week?
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I’ve thought about that, but I just don’t want to be inundated with all the record companies trying to sign me or license my work…
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LOL!! I mean, (cough….cough) that may be a real concern! 🙂
I like music when I am writing depending on what I am writing. Will be curious on how your experiment goes .
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I will let you know!
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I can’t listen to music while I work or write, Jim. I have tried and it just doesn’t work for me. I can filter out background noise so that doesn’t bother or distract me, but music does. I’ll be interested in your views when you try it out.
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I’m like you, and my guess is that I will return to silence after this week. But I thought it would be fun to try.
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I prefer a silent background but sometimes will do blog posts while listening to TV, which I know is unhelpful. We all await the results of the experiment. Good luck.
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I think I could handle music better than TV. My attention would be constantly diverted to the tv.
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🙂 Yes, Jim. I listen to music when I write. My favourite category of music to listen to when I am writing is electronic dance music.
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You are the second person I’ve read about that likes listening to EDM while writing. Hmmm… might have to give it a try one day this week…
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I always listen to music while writing. I literally can’t write without it!
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Any particular kind? Does the music you listen to while writing have lyrics?
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I’ve been watching the Ken Burns documentary in the background these days actually- I just finished the second episode. Usually I listen to hip hop or country.
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I’m pretty sure I could not have lyrics in the background while I am trying to write. I might try it one night though..
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I don’t know I kind of always need background noise… Maybe it’s just me and I’m weird lol
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As Seth Godin says, “We are all weird” 🙂
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Haha I guess that’s true
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I know the research suggests classical music while you write, but I prefer silence.
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Silence is what I’ve always done, but I figured I’d give this a shot for a week and see what happens.
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No harm in trying 😉
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I can’t listen to my playlist when I write, or any music I like. I want to hum along or dance – depending on the genre. I used to have a yoga relaxation tape that was fairly formless though – that might work, if I can find it.
Or it might still send me to sleep.
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I won’t have to worry about the urge to dance, but I fall asleep already on occasion when I am writing my blog. Hopefully the music does not make it easier to do so… 🙂
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i tend to often have music of all kinds, or a podcast on, or even television sometimes, when writing or doing things. i’ve always done this through my 100 years of homework and boring things i was required to write, and now it’s carried over to writing for pleasure. caveat: this does not work well with foreign films with subtitles. )
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My wife is also able to have the tv on while doing her school work; I just couldn’t do it. ANd yes, foreign films require 100% of our attention…
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maybe, we of the wee folk ilk, are used to constant sound in the background of everything we do.
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good point! 🙂
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Absolute Silence. Distilled, preferably. There’s too many internal conversations – un-win-able arguments – and cranial noises going on inside my noggin … I’m morphing into a wolf, Jim. I hear everything, imaginary and real. Seriously, I love music but I find it distracting while writing. I may listen to favorites on Spotify to get me in the mood, and run with the feeling.
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My guess is that I will go back to silence after this one week trial, but I’ll give it a shot. And a wolf may be just what we need to be these days…
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A good wolf for sure … not convinced about the orange one roaming around 1600 Penn Ave now.
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That’s the bad wolf…
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An interesting experiment, Jim. I look forward to reading the results. Personally, like many who have commented, I prefer quiet and can readily handle the normal background noise. If I had any music on, I do think that classical or instrumental music would be the least distraction. Unlike the rest of you for who all this comes easy, I have to concentrate, focus, and work hard to make the pen move. You should apply for a grant to fund your study!
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Thanks for your perspective Brad, it is always appreciated. But if I got a grant, then I would have to write up the results – sounds like too much work…
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I think it’s different from thing to thing you do, wha music goes to the work. E.g. I listen to normal rock when writing, but can’t read to music with lyrics. But I think indeed that music helps in everything
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I’m looking forward to finding out; thanks for your perspective!
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Silence is golden…The only time I listen to any music while writing is when I am reading blog posts and there may be a video and then I can listen and write but otherwise…I can filter out noise but music would distract me too much 🙂
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I’m with you, but I figured I’d give it a shot…
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And why not..the results may be interesting or not…:)
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I write with or without music. If I’m really into something I am oblivious to anything around me and can be for a long time. Same with when I read. Drives my husband nuts. He can talk with me and I might shake my head and mutter uhhuh…but I process nothing, just intent on what I am
doing. In the karma world of fairness though, my son is exact same way and it drives me nuts when I’m trying to talk to him and he’s oblivious to the world around him because he’s in the middle of something!
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depending on what you are doing, sometimes it is a good thing to get so enmeshed in it that you are oblivious to what is going on around you…
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…interesting, I wonder what you come up with and am curious to follow up on this. As for myself, I always have music on, it comforts my heart and soul. It’s a natural way of emotions to come and go and to communicate. Therefor depending on what I’m doing and the mood I’m in, I choose music wisely. All the best, Sovely
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thanks for your insights, Sovely. I am also curious as to what I discover. I love music, but I think I will have trouble trying to concentrate while it is playing. But who knows!?
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I used to do my homework to the accompaniment of my faithful transistor radio, despite my Dad wondering how I managed it. These days, I need silence if I’m writing – I guess I’ve lost too many brain cells to be able to multitask any more 😊
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I must have never had any brain cells because I always needed silence when doing brainy type work… 🙂
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My results in the first stage of public exams – in those days, they were ‘O’ levels for us – weren’t spectacular. Maybe my Dad was right!
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If only you could have taken those exams with some music playing…
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If I’m honest, I doubt that would have made any difference 😊
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But you could always use it as an excuse… 🙂
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I wish I’d thought of that 50 years ago 😂
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hindsight is 20/20
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When I’m reading or writing, music distracts me. I’m that guy that needs the perfect quiet environment to concentrate. I used to have students who could enjoy reading in the middle of six other things going on in a classroom, and that amazed me. I can’t process or retain information that way. On the other hand, if I’m doing physical work or doing something mindless on the computer, I love my music.
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We must be clones, I am the same way with music..
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It mostly depends on my mood, but a bit of music can drastically improve my efficiency. Classical music, specially those that I am familiar with does not necessarily become background music for me as I tend to either hum along… hahaha… But when I get in the zone, it just buzz away in the background, too. New and unfamiliar music often works, as long as I like the sound/genre. Good luck with your experiment.
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thanks for your useful isights, jomz!
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If I’m on a laptop or PC I will have music. Usually I write on my phone and edit on the PC. If I have music on during the edit depends on how much time I have.
I always listened to music when I wrote papers in college. Back then my system was to drink a beer for each page I finished and worry about editing the next day.
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I hope you weren’t writing too many 20 page papers in college! 🙂
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Most of them were between 3 and 5 pages but my final project was something like 30. That was a 6 month ordeal with a bunch of rewrites so it wasn’t in one sitting.
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Did your writing get easier or harder as you had a beer after each page?
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Easier as far as the time it took to write but it added some time on the edits the next day. But I could finish a paper in close to half the time it would normally take with that system. If it was an option based paper like for philosophy I could crank a paper out in no time with that system.
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you need to patent your system and market it to college students around the world. they would love something like this!
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My office is in a machine shop and I write while it is running. Not exactly music but not noise either.
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I guess the machine noise has become part of your natural background noise and is part of your routine…
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Love this exploration Jim❣️
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thanks, Val!
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Short and sweet article
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thanks, Chirantan…
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I listen with headphones because I am an extra early riser, and my wife prefers to sleep in.
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Headphones seem like the perfect solution!
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Listening to music inspires words and emotions I find!
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maybe if I keep at it, I’ll find such inspiration starting to happen. At this point, I’m just happy that it hasn’t distracted me…
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That’s something!
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It’s a start!
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Just one more example: no, never. I can switch on and – as I end my work the music is out either. But I haven’t heard the first accord… OR – I hear a good composition but haven’t written a word…
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that sounds like me; I just can’t do work that requires concentration and listen to music at the same time…
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