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How do you listen to music? Seriously, casually, with concentrated effort?

I only sit down and listen to music seriously. I treat it like a concert experience.
- 5 (6.6%)
I listen to music seriously most of the time, but on occasion, I just like to chill and have some tunes around to fill the air.
- 32 (42.1%)
I listen to music seriously at times, but I like to have stuff always going on in the background.
- 31 (40.8%)
A fourth option, beyond time and space, but with web surfing.
- 8 (10.5%)

Total Members Voted: 69

Voting closed: October 28, 2015, 12:27:29 AM


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Author Topic: How do you listen to music? Seriously, casually, with concentrated effort?  (Read 4213 times)

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Marvey

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There was some chatbox discussion way back on this, but I'm curious about how (and how often) we listen to music.
« Last Edit: September 20, 2013, 03:29:01 PM by purrin »
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Marvey

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Re: How do you listen to music? Seriously, casually, with concentrated effort?
« Reply #1 on: September 20, 2013, 03:39:51 PM »

I figure I will start first.

Most people probably don't know this (maybe Anax or LFF do since they know my personality), but I've always approached music listening as a very serious experience. I'm the kind of guy who gets a projector and turns off the lights for a more dedicated home theater experience because he gets pissed off with other family members messing with their phones, scrounging for snacks, going to the bathroom, requesting pause, etc.

I rarely listen to music casually because I find it distracting, either annoying me preventing me from concentrating with work, or sucking me in to the experience. I usually take about on hour every night right before I go to sleep to listen to music intently. For me, it's a nightly one hour concentrated concert experience, regardless of whether its headphones or speakers. Although sometimes I end up falling asleep on the couch drooling.

I know, I'm probably the oddball here.
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Kirosia

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Re: How do you listen to music? Seriously, casually, with concentrated effort?
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2013, 03:41:19 PM »

Casually, as I rock back and forth in the fetal position in the darkest corner of the room.
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Clemmaster

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Re: How do you listen to music? Seriously, casually, with concentrated effort?
« Reply #3 on: September 20, 2013, 04:13:18 PM »

I figure I will start first.

Most people probably don't know this (maybe Anax or LFF do since they know my personality), but I've always approached music listening as a very serious experience. I'm the kind of guy who gets a projector and turns off the lights for a more dedicated home theater experience because he gets pissed off with other family members messing with their phones, scrounging for snacks, going to the bathroom, requesting pause, etc.

I rarely listen to music casually because I find it distracting, either annoying me preventing me from concentrating with work, or sucking me in to the experience. I usually take about on hour every night right before I go to sleep to listen to music intently. For me, it's a nightly one hour concentrated concert experience, regardless of whether its headphones or speakers. Although sometimes I end up falling asleep on the couch drooling.

I know, I'm probably the oddball here.

Exactly this.
I'm very serious about headphone listening and 99% of the time (= at home) I just turn of the lights, the phone chargers and any (noisy or glowing) stuff in the room and get lost in the music, in bed, eyes closed.

That's the best way to be able to pick up the subtleties that make all gears sound different from one another (yeah, DACs too!).

Speaker listening is more casual, though, and mostly done at my desk with monitors (Focal XS / Airmotiv 4s). I like precision  :)p8
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Questhate

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Re: How do you listen to music? Seriously, casually, with concentrated effort?
« Reply #4 on: September 20, 2013, 04:24:07 PM »

I'm one of those types that always has music on in the background. Riding in the car, doing house chores, taking a shower, browsing the internet, watching sports, etc. Unless I need to concentrate while at work, or studying, then I'll have something playing.

But I also carve out some "serious listening" time when I can, which will vary in how much I can do depending on life schedule obviously. Usually I do about an hour or two at night -- some nights I get home from work and get locked into serious listening time until I go to bed (6pm to midnight). Sometimes I don't get serious listening time for weeks and build up an insurmountable backlog of stuff to get through that stresses me the hell out.

Serious listening time is a ritual for me too. Dim the lights, brew some tea (or glass of whiskey), put the couch in recline.
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zerodeefex

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Re: How do you listen to music? Seriously, casually, with concentrated effort?
« Reply #5 on: September 20, 2013, 04:52:17 PM »

I'm one of those types that always has music on in the background. Riding in the car, doing house chores, taking a shower, browsing the internet, watching sports, etc. Unless I need to concentrate while at work, or studying, then I'll have something playing.

But I also carve out some "serious listening" time when I can, which will vary in how much I can do depending on life schedule obviously. Usually I do about an hour or two at night -- some nights I get home from work and get locked into serious listening time until I go to bed (6pm to midnight). Sometimes I don't get serious listening time for weeks and build up an insurmountable backlog of stuff to get through that stresses me the hell out.

This is pretty close to the way I listen. I have music going all day at work (by all day I mean the little time I'm not in meetings) as a background and I keep it playing at home with the family (a lot of times to keep the kid exposed to great music). I find I also focus better with certain types of music, especially when I'm writing documentation.

At least 3 times a week I spend a minimum of an hour at my desk after work to sit and listen. I generally plan out which recordings I want to listen to during a given week and let myself enjoy. I turn off the lights in my office, close the door, and lower the temperature a bit.

Lately I've been carving time before bed as well. My partner reads and I listen for an hour or so there, too.
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OJneg

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Re: How do you listen to music? Seriously, casually, with concentrated effort?
« Reply #6 on: September 20, 2013, 05:16:55 PM »

I usually take about on hour every night right before I go to sleep to listen to music intently. For me, it's a nightly one hour concentrated concert experience, regardless of whether its headphones or speakers.

I do the very same thing myself. I often have trouble falling asleep, but listening to music and some light stretching helps a lot for me.

Although I also have music going 24/7. Headphones when on the computer, IEMs when walking around campus, shitty car stereo when I drive. None of those are serious listening sessions, but they don't feel right without music.
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ultrabike

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Re: How do you listen to music? Seriously, casually, with concentrated effort?
« Reply #7 on: September 20, 2013, 06:57:11 PM »

I listen to music both seriously and background as well. Kind of randomly.
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Thujone

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Re: How do you listen to music? Seriously, casually, with concentrated effort?
« Reply #8 on: September 20, 2013, 07:52:08 PM »

First and foremost, if I'm not reading or focusing on something else, I love to have music playing. Whether that be playing a board game with friends or cruising through a video game in which sound is not a priority. I also have music going in my car at all times, but absolutely no radio, satellite or otherwise.

Buuuuut, when an artist that I follow comes out with a new album, I take that seriously. I could just sit and stare at my computer screen just as long as I am fully immersed in the music. To some extent, I feel like I owe that to the artist.

On the other hand, due to my obsession with EDM, playing AudioSurf is a great way to do some critical listening while keeping your mind focused on the song and not allowing it to wander (at least as long as you aren't playing on an insane difficulty). This is not a great solution for a lot of other genres though because the game is totally dependent on fast paced tunes.
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shipsupt

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Re: How do you listen to music? Seriously, casually, with concentrated effort?
« Reply #9 on: September 20, 2013, 11:24:09 PM »

Lots of casual listening...
We've got music playing in the house almost all the time, sometimes in several rooms.
I listen at work all day unless I'm in a meeting.
I've always got music playing in my shop when I'm building something.

I do however look forward to a more serious listening session in my man den.  Which typically ends up being later at night.  In a typical week I might only get three or four of these sessions in.

One thing I can't really do is fall asleep to music!  If I am listening in bed the music will keep me up, because I get into listening to it.  I can't disconnect.  On the rare chance that I do fall asleep with music playing, I find that I am not rested in the morning.

« Last Edit: September 20, 2013, 11:37:00 PM by shipsupt »
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Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
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