Do you LISTEN to your music ?

[Audio Al]

May sound like a strange question , but do you really LISTEN to your music

I have in the past been guilty of putting music on and it becomes a sound in the background

On other occasions I sit and listen properly , playing the same track over and over and picking out different instruments and elements of the track , Vocals , Drums , bass , timing , brass , wind instruments , keyboard etc

It still amazes me that all of a sudden after repeated listening s you hear something new or all of a sudden the lyrics are clearer

Amazing

I just love it :D

[hifi_dave]

I usually do one of two things - I put on an album and play it all through for enjoyment whilst I am doing another job or just lounging about. Or, I play tracks or parts of selected tracks whilst listening intently, to determine the quality of equipment or combinations of. The 'test' tracks aren't necessarily those I would listen to for fun.

[synsei]

Much the same here. Depending on my mood and what needs to be done, if anything, I will either put something on in the background, for instance when I'm browsing AoS, or everything else is forgotten and I go for a proper listening sesh ;)

[MartinT]

I generally listen intently to the exclusion of anything else. If I'm putting something on for background, e.g. while working, I will play it at a much lower volume.

[Tim]

I do both, music is on all the time when I'm at home. I tend to 'listen' to new albums and have music I know well playing when I am doing something else. But not a hard and fast rule, the only rule is that music is playing nearly all the time I'm in as I don't watch a lot of TV and don't really do silence at home :)

[awkwardbydesign]

I like silence. A lot of the music I like has spaces in it. I'm quite happy to "do silence", radio "music" at the doctor's or at work just annoys me. It often feels that people have noise because they don't like to be alone with their thoughts.

[WOStantonCS100]

I generally listen intently to the exclusion of anything else...

+1

...a lot of late night listening sessions.


I'm quite happy to "do silence"...

+1

...much prefer silence over disturbed/distracted listening.

[Reid Malenfant]

I like silence. A lot of the music I like has spaces in it. I'm quite happy to "do silence", radio "music" at the doctor's or at work just annoys me. It often feels that people have noise because they don't like to be alone with their thoughts.
Interesting :) I kind of like silence to, I guess I'm used to it as I live on my own ;)

However I can't get to sleep if it's too quiet, I need some kind of rythmic noise, such as a fan to help knock me out, otherwise I will be tossing & turning all night, & the next night, & the night after that... I might finally sleep due to total exhaustion on the fourth night :rolleyes:

You see I can't switch my brain off, I keep thinking, & while I don't mind the thoughts I think, I wish I could just flick a bloody switch :lol:

[MartinT]

You see I can't switch my brain off, I keep thinking, & while I don't mind the thoughts I think, I wish I could just flick a bloody switch :lol:

A reset switch on a long timer would be very handy sometimes :)

[Joe]

Of course I don't listen to my music. Most of it's crap for a kick-off.

[goraman]

Isn't that the whole point of our hobbie ?

[Puffin]

I have to trek all the way down to the garage:rolleyes: to hear my "stereo stack system", so all sessions are for serious listening.

I never have music on in the house. If I am out an about I may listen to my MP3 player (music or radio) through crap in-ear phones, which is good enough for me.

[PLINIUS]

Without distraction eg. Phones turned off, TV off, minimum lighting,eyes closed:)

[Rare Bird]

I listern to much intensely. i need total silence..

[Quicky82]

I'm quite happy to "do silence", radio "music" at the doctor's or at work just annoys me. It often feels that people have noise because they don't like to be alone with their thoughts.

Totally agree with this! I feel like this habit of people wanting 'background noise' is a big reason why more and more music ends up being mastered far too loud and over-compressed.

People rarely sit down and properly listen to music these days. Or even sit down and be silent.

[Tim]

It often feels that people have noise because they don't like to be alone with their thoughts.
Quite the contrary in my case, I just love music its what makes life worth living - if I want silence to contemplate or 'be alone with my thoughts' I go for a walk and most of my thinking gets done in bed before I go to sleep. I don't have enough time to sit in silence . . . . so much music, so little time ;)

[horace]

I like silence. A lot of the music I like has spaces in it. I'm quite happy to "do silence", radio "music" at the doctor's or at work just annoys me. It often feels that people have noise because they don't like to be alone with their thoughts.

I agree.

Debussy once said 'Music is the space between the notes'.

I have contemplated that phrase for years, and the more I think about it the more profound it seems.

You know you are among friends when silence is never uncomfortable.

Cheers

Martin

[nat8808]

Without distraction eg. Phones turned off, TV off, minimum lighting,eyes closed:)

That's the ideal for me.

In general I TRY to put music on in the background but end up having to stop what I'm doing and sit between the speakers pretty quickly.

So I tend to only properly listen to music or dance about or sing with it.

The only music that goes on in the background is something like a day time 6 Music show where it's a bit mainstream and a fair bit of chat. More often it will get changed over to something talky if I wan't background noise.

I suppose some classical is ok in the background because I know if I sit in front of the speakers it will just sound like a big orchestra - heard those before!

[nat8808]

For those who do have music on all the time, can I take it that you are mostly interested in the music itself (notes, lyrics etc) and not always wanting to hear the 'sound'?

In most ways, I'm the opposite - want to experience the sound over and above the notes and lyrics. For notes and lyrics etc I can happily live with just my ipod or whatever.

[Macca]

I don't bother with background music because if I am concentrating on something else I blot all other distractions out. Not deliberately, it just happens. I have never had an issue working in open plan offices because of this, whereas colleagues will routinely complain that they cannot concentrate due to the noise. If I put on a CD for background music I would only notice it again when it finished.

Like Nat I listen to the sound, occasionally my mind may wander a bit but then I will notice that my foot is tapping or my head nodding so my body obviously is enjoying it even if my thoughts are elsewhere.

[steviej233]

I like having music on whenever i can, if i have brought a new album i will have it on as loud as i can get away with and really listen to it 2-3 times. :)

Just brought the new XX album which is very good, extremely well recorded, and i listened to that about 5 times and then had it on in the background while i was reading.

I don't get to sit down and really listen as often as i would like so i tend to go round to my brothers and he will come round to mine and just sit and chat and listen to tunes.

I am really trying to get back into buying at least 1 new album a new month from a local record shop and trying as many new types of music as possible. I have found that i have found a liking for classical music so if anyone can recommend anything i would be greatful. :)

[KC Jones]

Take a trip over to the Musical Compositions thead, its like AOS’ ‘’Round table’’

[Tim]

I am really trying to get back into buying at least 1 new album a new month from a local record shop and trying as many new types of music as possible.
I'm trying desperately to do this too, 10 ~ 15 a month is far too many :lol:

If you don't have Spotify it's fantastic for discovering 'new music' as is the AoS Spinning Today thread. Last.fm is also a good source as well.
The only problem is there are a lot of 'fishermen' on AoS and I seem to get snagged into buying stuff far too often when I visit Spinning Today :scratch:

[guyhayton]

The only problem is there are a lot of 'fishermen' on AoS and I seem to get snagged into buying stuff far too often when I visit Spinning Today :scratch:

I agree - since joining AOS the "Spinning Today" thread has meant my CD purchasing has increased ten-fold. :stalks:

[The Grand Wazoo]

'Spinning Today' is one of the joys of AoS!
Steve, just start a thread in the Classical Section (http://theartofsound.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=44), outlining what you like and what you don't and ask for suggestions.

Also, the Album Club (http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=12613)is a great way of finding new pieces of music to try: