What do you generally do when listening to music?

It's a super simple question, yeah, but it's something I'm legitimately curious about, since I don't think many people simply lie down and stare at the ceiling when they're listening to something. What are you generally doing when you're listening to music? I pretty much always have music playing when I'm walking my dog, riding the bus, or driving long distances. Sometimes I try listening to stuff when I'm working, but I often find that the music distracts me too much and as a result I can't get work done or get a good grasp on what I'm listening to.

wonder what Geir would think

drive, 95% of listening in car

Dance

Sit in an airplane while trying not to dance

have recently organised my life so i can - at certain times - actually sit down in a comfortable chair in front of a decent sound system and listen to one or two full LPs a day

pros: deeper appreciation and connection with music than i have felt since a teenager

cons: it is like having a heroin vending machine in my living room, i don't really want to do anything else - feel this is somehow dangerous

and, possibly related to the self-medication vibe, in the evenings i am quite prone to falling asleep

That is the most decadent lifestyle I can possibly imagine!

for real, imagine having a living room

Too many teenagers in my living room! my system is in the bedroom/study so either while working or lazing

In which situation do you most commonly listen to music?

I try to integrate music into most activities:

Breakfast - gets the blood flowing for me and my youngest son who I still help out in the morning
Driving - as much as I'd like to listen to a podcast or two, I'd rather listen to my new acquisitions or old favorites
Work - classical is acceptable in a place where people don't have music playing openly, though I'll put on headphones now and then
Housework - folding laundry, cooking (not very often), paying bills, etc
Reading in bed - as long as the Mrs. is downstairs watching TV
Going for walks - though the bird-songs are quite enjoyable, I tend to put on headphones

I used to wear headphones when food shopping but I got out of that habit, it felt too confining.

Walk 2-3 hours a day listening to music

As well as shake the tweeters at home to music. Luckily the place is relatively good with sound travelling out!

Also what Gerald said. I used to listen to music sparingly with activities but now it’s constant (also using it as a way to stay clean which is working)

still out of work, so everything that needs doing in the house is done to a soundtrack.
other than when I have the TV on.

while driving, exercising or falling asleep.

-while cleaning, doing housework etc.
-during down-time (resting, relaxing)
-at work, sort of superficially
-less so outdoors (walking, biking, bus etc.) nowadays
-if i had a car, i'd def listen to music while driving

also using it as a way to stay clean which is working

Not to pry but you threw it out there. Care to elaborate?

I don't generally listen to music first thing (out of some vague respect for the neighbours).

I'll always listen to music on the drive to and from work.

Once home in the evening, I'll generally be either cooking/washing up/ironing, reading emails, writing letters or "sitting in a chair".

I often have music on at night, when trying to sleep. I did go through a phase of listening to music through head phones while trying to sleep/having insomnia but have made my ears sore doing that.

No prob Gerald. I’ve been able to stay clean from hard drugs by replacing the impulse to do them with the decision to go buy an iTunes gift card. The music ends up being a good replacement and I’ve been clean for 9 days now.

FWIW I’m a low amount user and never do it often anyway just don’t want to do it at all

In the 1980s: Sitting on a bed alone, watching the record spin.
Today: Cooking, doing laundry, driving, drinking with friends.

Good on yer, Ross! I've always said music was my drug.

usually while im working. if im at home i usually listen to my vinyls. or youtube. while i play videogames i usually play some other music. i've done this since the first time i played Super Mario Bros. 2. it was at a friend's house and he was showing it to me but he had the TV down and was playing a tape of the Beach Boys instead. that may have been the first time i heard the Beach Boys.

i used to listen to tapes in the car. i had a huge box full of tapes, most of them taped off records or MP3s, just tons of tapes. they littered the floor of my car. but both of my cars were totalled (on the same street, Memorial Dr.) and i decided to not drive a car anymore. i've been carless since then, walking and taking public transportation, so i listen to a lot of music on my iPhone. i absolutely hate how earbuds tend to last only a few months.

recently i noticed my parents, who usually had music playing in their houses and cars, just not having anything on. in the car i kind of need to hear music. my favorite thing in the world is surfing the radio, especially up in the Appalachian mountains, all the crazy psychedelic country shit they play on there. sometimes you will hear really spooky experimental yodeling or violin or whatever on some random AM station.

whenever i take Uber or something, they are always listening to music, and its cool to hear what different people play while driving around. whenever i go to a store they are always playing music. feel like more often than not the grocery store is playing some good tunes, like if it is 80s pop hits Robert Palmer, Hall & Oates, Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Tyler, etc. then i love it. if i go to Eats or Five Guys they are always playing some classic 60s soul pop.

finally, the most classic thing ever, is hearing people blasting songs on their car as they randomly drive by. sometimes it is hilarious and they are listening to some goofy shit. sometimes they are playing a song you love. it's absolutely random. it's so much fun.

finally, the most classic thing ever, is hearing people blasting songs on their car as they randomly drive by. sometimes it is hilarious and they are listening to some goofy shit. sometimes they are playing a song you love. it's absolutely random. it's so much fun.

― Hazy Maze Cave (Adam Bruneau),

Last year I was blasting CCR's "Ramble Tamble" in my car on a sunny day with the windows down. When arrived home and opened the garage door there was a guy exiting a neighboring office and started grinning widely upon hearing the music and shouted "Ah, that's so good!". Yeah, classic thing.

Walk around, often to work but other places too.

Reading, writing, drinking, cooking, working, walking.

I used to wear headphones when food shopping but I got out of that habit, it felt too confining.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, May 23, 2018 11:33 AM (two days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I just recently started listening to something while grocery shopping, but it's usually podcasts. It's the only time I'll wear ear buds to listen to anything.

surfing the radio, especially up in the Appalachian mountains, all the crazy psychedelic country shit they play on there. sometimes you will hear really spooky experimental yodeling or violin or whatever on some random AM station.

hell yes