How much does the way we listen to music influence what we think about it?

I was going to post this in Wu chamber because only about 3 people will read this here lol but as the title says...

I listen to music in the following ways:

- Headphones at work
- In the car
- Headphones on the computer
- On the turntable

When I listen to music at work it's just background noise really and I drift in and out of listening because I have another ear piece in for my job and have to hear different things, when I'm in the car obviously I'm driving so it's not a priority to listen and when I'm on the computer I'm doing other shit. I used to have to catch a train to work and would listen to music on the way and that was probably the most invested I got in to albums besides records because I could tune everything out but I find with headphones that I can drift off in to day dreams so I still tuned out at times.

I find that I enjoy and rank albums better when I listen to them on vinyl than from the other methods and that's probably because most of the time I am sitting on the lounge listening on a decent sound systems with a decent turntable playing it loud and usually with a drink in hand. There's definitely albums I've listened to from the above 3 situations where I wasn't feeling it that I had a complete turnaround because I listened to the record. Nothing has really changed except for the set and setting but it has a big influence on how I appreciate an album or artist.

I know that noel listens to music all day at work, Hal is buying a million cds a day, Sha and Bateman have vinyl records, no idea how bdolo, check two, satan, tsa and others listen to music so I'm interested to know if the way you listen to music impacts how much you rate the artist/album.

I used to like listening to new albums with the cd booklet in my hands, reading up/along.


But these days I prefer listening to new albums with the tv on, on mute. The images not being connected to the music but providing me with limited input helps me focus back on the music. The images relax me too. And the tv helps me stay seated. When I walk around or do stuff around the house I get distracted.

I don't want to have anything story related on tv on at that time. I'll be watching that I can just dip into on occasion without context, like a live sporting event (they show a ton of cycling on tv for free in summer, just one example) or porn on a streaming platform. Tbh I get the best results in terms of immersing myself in music with porn on, especially if it's a flick I've already skimmed through before. I guess a nature documentary would work well too. I might give that a try sometime. I've got two nature channels so I've got plenty of opportunity.

Often I'll have my Chromebook open nearby to look up anything album related, like album reviews or a band's discography ranked from worst to best album.

It helps when there's not too much daylight so I'll have half a curtain closed.

I'll often let such an album play through three or four times in a row.

This only works because I have a lot of time off work lol.

I don't wear headphones for music. (I have headphones to keep noise out.)


When I was a teen living with my parents I used to listen to new albums while lying in bed at day time.


On the rating thing ... Only consecutive repeated listens really help me rate/appreciate an album. Something that helps me in that regard are budget box set. I'll buy 3, 5 or 6 disc sets by one artist for like $15 and then I'll play those over the course of 2 or 3 days, often with the tv on mute like I said. It helps me find out which part of an artist's career I prefer, whether I see artistic development and it also helps me when there's one album within those 3, 5 or 6 that I know too well from before, like the one 'hit' or 'breakthrough' album an artist had and that I listened to way too often years ago.


If it's music I already know well, I don't need any specific setting or conditions to enjoy it.


On the whole tv thing : don't worry, I'm still out and about a lot. lol

l to listen to music driving during the work day. It isn't just from home to work and back. I go to a few Locations throughout the day, I use YT music app, which has almost everything. Also like Hal. I will mute the TV during a ball game and listen, since most announcers are forgettable anyways. Also while playing video games, doing crossword puzzles, sudoko puzzles, reading the newspaper at night or weekends.

I use my phone and connect to a home speaker or car stereo via Bluetooth.

I do have a CD collection, but using YT music is easier.

At work my level of attention depends on what I'm doing exactly, but it's generally not full commitment. I do often listen pretty closely though. I listen on a Bluetooth speaker.

When I walk the dog I listen with earphones and I'm fully tuned in. If I'm walking where there's other people n dogs, that becomes an interference. I try to avoid, but it's hard not to be tempted to walk the dog on the beach with other cunts when you're looking right at it off your deck n it's just glorious, lols.

I've been doing just dumbbell sort of work outs at least 4 thymes a week since I was about 15, n that's always been where I listen to only my favourite albums n I'm fully tuned in on it. My workouts r about 45-50 minutes including stretching n refilling my drinks at the end, lolz. So perfect for most albums.

Somethymes I'll be rushing to get done in like 40 min for shorter albums like disc one n disc 2 of The Wall, lolololol. They're about 40 each.

I listen on the Bluetooth speaker with that too, but used to always be stereos n shit.

I used to ride my bike n walk for hours every day, n that was full commitment too, on the earphones. Though bike riding can often have a bit of noise interference like traffic. I still ride n walk when I can, n listen attentively on earphones.

When I'm working on new music (pretty much always) i put the latest version of whatever I'm working on on my player n listen to it over n over when I walk.

I'm fully committed when i drive too. I like having the windows down, but on the highway n shit i often close them to block out noise n focus on whatever I'm listening to.

I very rarely have music on just as a background thing. Only at work a bit. Otherwise I'm generally fully focused on it.

i myself try to stay fully focused/immersed in the music most of the time if i am listening. but this is mainly because i listen mostly on headphones and mostly at work.

most of my listening nowadays takes place while im at work. in headphones. 8+ hours a day. even though most of the time i have one headphone in or am at a lower volume due to needing to hear machines and what not. i do get a very good amount of time to turn the volume up, not be arsed by anyone or anything, and devote 100% into listening.

for me that is the best way to experience a new album or whatever. in headphones. and also, for me, work is the best time i have to fully pay attention and absorb what i am listening to. and for that i am grateful.

through this method, i am able to thoroughly enjoy the albums i love. and also through this method i find it best to process new releases or first time listens. often times i will play them back to back or repeatably throughout the day, like Hal. some of them really grow on me others i just cant be bothered to listen to anymore. lolz.

for me, work has become mindless. so when i listen to music there i really can delve into it, or i can let my mind wander and see where the music takes me. both are equally beautiful reprieves.

but fuck, if i wasnt working/at a place that i could listen to music like that for 8+ hours a day... listening to music for me would change drastically.

when i do listen to music in other ways, like in the car, or through the computer or on a speaker. i am usually listening to albums that are tried and true to me, albums that i am already familiar and enjoy. so i really dont need to process them much more.

i can hop in my car for 10 minutes, drive, listen to 2 or 3 tracks and enjoy my time and start off where i left at next time i have to drive. other times in the car though, since i have a decent system, i can crank it up and enjoy the full effect of the project, that is for when i have longer rides.

if i have music playing through the computer speakers, its usually for background noise of something i want to hear, something that i already know and enjoy. like yesterday i was cleaning and i put Underoath on and listened to most of their discography, that was nice. but also other times instead of watching tv or whatever for the night i would put on a good album or two or three and have a couple drinks. i did this a lot with the girlfriend. i would also say this is a great way to enjoy music. but for me, i never tried to listen to many new/unfamiliar acts this way. most of the time i will sample new artists that i may be interested in through the computer speakers, and if i feel like i would enjoy them, i d/l their discography and put it on my walkman to listen to on headphones at work the next day. and go from there on the ones i enjoy/dont enjoy. and for the ones that i do enjoy, i will start to listen to in other ways like the car or through speakers. shit, even with artists that i love i always prefer to have those first few listens be on headphones at work.

SO to answer your question, for this listener, if i didnt have the ability to listen to music at work like i do now in headphones and have been doing my whole adult life. id be fucked.

since there are so many things that need done anymore, if i put on a new album for background noise on speakers while i did something around the house like clean or cook, id be missing all the main points. and to not be able to listen to a new album front to back is criminal so i couldnt put it in the car to listen to 10 minutes at a time lolz.

i would end up having to listen to most of my music on my walkman through headphones, while i did yard work, or bring my walkman with me when i went for jogs or buy a nice portable speaker/sound system to listen to while i did something mindless like throw darts or in Noels case pump iron. but i gather a lot of inspiration from music so if the urge ever comes to me to write, i would need something near to be able to capture that thought and also the ability to run with said thought until it left me.

honestly it would be tough for me to just put music on, or put music in my ears and not do a damn thing lol. even though what i end up doing like work etc is mindless i am still occupied doing something.

but im sure i would make something work if my current situation ever becomes compromised.

with classical music I sometimes make a conscious effort to sit down or lie down and just try and focus on the music (so not like with all of the other genres I listen to, as in my post above) but my mind still wanders lol, and quite quickly. that's okay though, I have come to accept classical music as music I dip in and out of, but still like listening to it without doing anything else

conversely, some classical music was meant to be enjoyed while people did other stuff, like table music which was played live when the rich were eating (esp. in the baroque period). in that spirit I play that type of music when I'm reading the newspaper or eating. the being rich part I just imagine to go along with the music lol

to give you an idea of what that sounds like, if like me you are not all up to speed with classical music, the music below is apparently considered the high point of table music



I take it that this type of music was meant to be inobtrusive. I was playing such an album (different composers than Telemann) this morning and the booklet said that the music was even tailored to the guests that were coming over for dinner. there was the example of this neurotic big guy in the catholic religion coming over and the players were expressly told to come up with music as soothing as possible during the meals. which makes sense to me

I generally make playlists, listen to them for weeks until I'm bored, then make a new playlist. Its always random genre music from multiple sources, always with some 90s Hip Hop, 70s, 80s stuff thats new to me, and whatever new tracks that sound good.

I listen while playing games, exercising, browsing the net like I am right now. Currently listening to 80s J Pop, which deserves a thread at some point. Usually music has my full attention, and often its giving me ideas for beats and stuff.

When I'm working on music I make final decisions when I'm stoned, lolz. I only smoke weed once a week at most. So it'll need to pass the Saturday night stoned test before I make a final decision.

Basically I think when I'm sober I'll let shit that's not very good pass. Like I'll convince myself it's ok or even good so I don't have to keep on working on it. But when I'm stoned n hear shit like that it's generally an immediate no, that's shit, gotta rework/scrap that part.

Most of the music I like, I like no matter the platform, but some music is in a different ballpark live. I have a pretty hard time getting into genres outside of rap, but when I hear them live they make more sense. Like that's how they were supposed to be consumed to begin with

I will say that one advantage vinyl and tape have is you're more patient and I think that helps a person like whole albums more. Does it for me. I didn't like Paid in Full for example outside of a few tracks til I got the vinyl. Now it's one of my all-time favorites. I barely look for new music and usually podcasts or a video essays are better for me when I need background noise. If I do listen to music now it's almost always to work out and on headphones but I will play the vinyls on weekends when I'm cleaning.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by noel411

When I'm working on music I make final decisions when I'm stoned, lolz. I only smoke weed once a week at most. So it'll need to pass the Saturday night stoned test before I make a final decision.

Basically I think when I'm sober I'll let shit that's not very good pass. Like I'll convince myself it's ok or even good so I don't have to keep on working on it. But when I'm stoned n hear shit like that it's generally an immediate no, that's shit, gotta rework/scrap that part.

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Thats weird to me. I think smoking weed or any drink or drugs will change my objective opinion of something. When it comes to actually making music, it just seemed to make me take longer to make the same shit. I still take too long, but I haven't smoked for years.

Nah man I don't work on music when I'm stoned. I've done that before n it can pretty much go one of two ways...either it's great or I'll just sit there for like 10 minutes trying to figure out one note. Probably depends how stoned i am.

I'm talking about just listening. Like i might finish something n listen to it 10 thymes n think it's fine, n then I'll listen to it stoned n immediately I'm like no way, that's shit, can't keep that.

It just gives me a kind of clarity I don't really have normally. Weed is like that in general for me.

ive tried listening to classical shiz. and i really want to. just having the hardest time finding something that clicks with me.

i have heard pieces played in movies and im like yo, this is fucking amazing.

and then i scour around the internet to either try and find that same piece/more work from said composer and its like literally the hardest thing ever to do.

so instead im forced to look through youtube and find shit that people say "is the best" of so and so time period and it is all shit.

seems like it would be really good background music but at the same time if you were to listen to it, and the composer was actually good, you would pick up so much more from it.

alas, is probably why i listen to so much ambient/down tempo pop or modern day instrumentals etc etc.

weirdly coincidental because i just heard someone quote that mcclure line about "the medium is the message" and i was thinking 1) is that bullshit, 2) what does that apply to. now, being slightly curious, but generally ignorant, i'm not really going to look into that (i'm sure it's been written about to death) but i've always tended towards thinking it's bullshit and that if it's true, it doesn't really apply to music. setting is to my obviously more important, which can be somewhat determined by the medium, but i'd consider to be a different thing.

my music listening experience went from listening to albums on a cd player/stereo, to getting a computer, downloading music, playing stuff on that and making my own compilations/playlists, having a cd walkman, getting one of the first ipods, listening to music in my car and then getting a turntable and various other hi-fi equipment - but i don't think it's really change how i appreciate it. the settings were more important, but i've always got the most out of music listening to it by myself, on headphones or played through some speakers at high volume.

i really think what's most important is hearing the music in some decent quality (so you can get an approximation of what it actually is) and at a high volume. my preferred method of doing that, these days, is driving around. i've always liked listening to music driving - when an album i'd been anticipating came out i used to, like it was an event, get really stoned that night and then drive around aimless playing i through a few times. i don't do that anymore, but i do most of my music listening while driving.

most of my formative music listening was through headphones, and i think that's one of the best ways to listen, but i've probably fucked my hearing as a result - nowadays i just listen to podcasts really.

i have a bunch of vinyl and used to enjoy throwing on records and just sitting there, but honestly, when i moved maybe 4 years ago, i never setup any of my equipment. i just feel kind of shitty blasting music on a regular basis, living in close proximity to other people (which i never really gave a shit about before then). i buy vinyl weirdly enough, but it's just to supports bands i really like. i'm wary of building a vinyl collection - i feel like i already have too many records and it's giving me flashbacks to all the fucking cds and dvds i owned and then threw out.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by noel411

I used to ride my bike n walk for hours every day, n that was full commitment too, on the earphones. Though bike riding can often have a bit of noise interference like traffic. I still ride n walk when I can, n listen attentively on earphones.

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this reminds me that, i always used to love riding at night listening to music. for some reason i really dislike listening to music when i run though... not really sure why.