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What if anything do you listen to while reading?
I know others do but I can't listen to music and read at the same time. Too distracting. Maybe if it was just instrumental but then it would need to fit what I was reading.
When I get the chance I try to read near a open window at night with the sounds of the city keep me company. Now having said that I live in a very full house and attend university I can pretty much read anywhere with a set of headphones and some good jazz playing.
I like something mellow, Norah Jones or something instrumental works for me.
I tend to come up with playlists for a book while reading the first few chapters, and this normally consists of film scores, or so called "classical" music. If a book's been made into a film or TV series then I may include the score if it's any good (see Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings).When I was doing Ready Player One, I had a lot of 80s music going on (Bon Jovi, Bonnie Tyler, Black Sabbath, some Queen) It all really depends on the mood and style of the book.
Strangely I have a hard time listening to music while reading. I start focusing on the music too much. I love putting on a movie I've seen a million times though. It's easier for me to tune out the sound of voices. I just like to have talking and voices as my background noise.
I'm a bit like a dog doing a pee ie can only do one job at a time.
When I read the early books in the series Wheel Of Time by Robert Jordan I just happened to be listening to Elgar on an old cassette.After that I found that I had inadvertently associated context dependent memories with the books and music. Since then, whenever I read a book from that series it is strangely comforting to listen to the same music.
For any other book I can read with different music, but usually something that has no words so as not to fill my brain with contradictory sentence flows from different senses.
I can also read in silence, but then I'm more susceptible to distractions from noises elsewhere. Music at least smothers distractions for me so help me focus on reading, or writing.
Hahaha, great comments. I usually like to listen to classical or old jazz, anything with lyrics usually throws me because my brain wants to sing along. The one exception was when reading "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline, I actually listened to the playlist from his blog. Totally cool to have an author-made playlist for the book you are reading. Wish they all came with one!
I can't listen to music when reading anymore. When I was a kid, I used to have music playing all of the time, but anymore I just find it way too distracting.I can't even do music with games. The first thing I always do when loading up a new game is turn the music all the way down or completely off.
I often listen to music while reading, but it almost always depends on the book. If it's fantasy I listen to celtic music or movie scores. With other books I often listen to classical music or instrumental film scores. Like a few other people I have a hard time concentrating on the words in the book if there are lyrics.For me it's super important that the music fits the book, however! The mood and sound of the music must go with the book, otherwise it just feels off.
It really depends on what I'm reading. When I read fantasy books I like either fantasy metal (Blind Guardian and the like) or classical/instrumental.
Crappy tv is my favorite... Things I don't have to pay that much attention to. Drives my husband crazy...
Funny story in regards to this.My wife and I are pretty opposite in many ways. She is very into sports and I would rather have a curling iron poked into my eye than watch the barbaric contests.
When we were dating in college she was reffing volleyball or basketball or something. I was taking a fantasy lit class as part of my major and was trying to finish up The Return of the King for class. I was listening to The Lord of the Rings soundtrack while reading the Battle of Pelennor Fields. I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read that masterpiece, but the music seemed to swell just at the right moments in the battle and I found myself tearing up while reading about the noble fight these characters were waging against tremendous odds. People who were there to, you know, actually watch the game looked at me funny as I sniffled and wiped away my tears.
She made fun of me when I told her about it later.
Scott wrote: "Funny story in regards to this.My wife and I are pretty opposite in many ways. She is very into sports and I would rather have a curling iron poked into my eye than watch the barbaric contests.
..."
Like when pipin stabbs the troll that was going to kill Aragorn and someone screams " the eagles are coming!"
But back to the main topic. Stan Bush is the best when it comes to reading soundtrack
I can't listen to anything while reading. If there's anything on in the background (TV, radio, music etc), I'll just tune it out. I can't do that with people talking though (typically someone in a coffee shop starts declaiming their woes at their companion (never "to" - the "conversation" is always one-sided, incessant, and loud)) & when that happens I need to find a more distant table or abandon either the coffee shop or the book.
Tim wrote: "I can't listen to anything while reading. If there's anything on in the background (TV, radio, music etc), I'll just tune it out. I can't do that with people talking though (typically someone in a..."i don't like to use memes to describe people but what you did, just deserves a "like a sir"
Mostly it depends on my mood if I hear music while reading or not. When I am listening to music, it usually is instrumental because other stuff distracts me too much and I start wondering where on the page or chapter I was.
As many others have said, I'll listen to music. Mostly instrumental, some classical, but for the most part soundtracks from film, tv and games.
That really depends on what I'm reading, and is usually dictated by the mood of what I'm reading, too. Usually I put on some classical music, soundtracks, or New Age music, but if the novel's set in a very specific period, I like to listen to music from that same period. For battles, though, I tend to put on a lot of AC/DC. Not entirely sure why, but it works!
I am a music nut. I am always listening to music. When I read, I tend to listen to classical, opera and jazz. I will listen to rock/hiphop/metal/pop, too. It all depends on what I'm reading and what my mind is like that particular day.A recent discovery of mine was Matthew Shipp, an amazing avant garde/free jazz pianist. I have been listening to a lot of his work and find myself especially enjoying his double disc "The Art of the Improviser". The first album features a live performance with a trio consisting of Matthew Shipp on piano, Whit Dickey on drums and Mike Bisio on bass (and OMG what an amazing bassist he is). The second disc is a live solo performance.
As far as classical music goes, I have been listening to Osmo Vanska and the Minnesota Orchestra's recordnigs of the Beethoven Symphonies. Their recording of the 9th Symphony is (IMHO) one of the best there is. I am also listening to Osmo Vanska and the Lahti Orchestra recodings of Sibelius symphonies and Osmo Vanska and the BBC Symphony Orchestra's recording of James MacMillan's The Confession of Isobel Gowdie.
In the realm of Opera (which I have only recently started developing an appreciation for), I have become infatuated with singers Jessye Norman and Anna Netrebko. My favorite Jessye Norman role just might be the role of Judith from Bartok's amazing opera Bluebeard's Castle (which might be my favorite opera). Anna Netrebko is a recent discovery and have only listened to a couple operas feturing her. My favorite might be Bellini's I Cauleti e i Montecchi. There is also a film version of La Boheme featuring Anna Netrebko as Mimi that I like (more for the singing that the film), but I am not the biggest fan of La Boheme (or Puccini in general).
I have also been listening to Alban Berg's Lulu and Wozzek and have been enjoying them immensely.
In the realm of rock/pop/metal/hiphop, I have been listening to Opeth's latest (Heritage), El-P's latest (Cancer 4 Cure), Tori Amos's latest (Night of Hunters) and have also been spending quite a bit of time on BT's SoundCloud page http://soundcloud.com/bt which features some awesome electronic/ambient tracks. I am also a fan of Minneapolis artist Venus DeMars and hi/r band All the Pretty Horses
http://www.venusdemars.com/
Random wrote: "I can't listen to music when reading anymore. When I was a kid, I used to have music playing all of the time, but anymore I just find it way too distracting.I can't even do music with games. Th..."
I often do the same with video games, but that's mainly because I think video game music is just awful.
Andrew wrote: "It really depends on what I'm reading. When I read fantasy books I like either fantasy metal (Blind Guardian and the like) or classical/instrumental."Do you listen to Bal-Sagoth? A friend of mine gave me one of their CDs (The Cthonic Chronicles), which was my ntroduction to fantasy metal and I was impressed.
I'm usually reading in the lounge while everyone else is watching tv, so its usually whatever NCIS or CSI or whatever are playing.
I'm the type that needs some background noise when I'm reading most of the time. Usually I have the TV on but sometomes I'll put a CD on. I'm apparently a bit of an odd duck around here since I just pick a random CD and put it on, not really caring if it fits the book or not.
Can't listen to anything other than instrumentals, but since you have A30's I would assume you're into gaming? I've been listening to the Journey (the game lol) soundtrack. It's awesome!
Peter wrote: "When I read the early books in the series Wheel Of Time by Robert Jordan I just happened to be listening to Elgar on an old cassette.After that I found that I had inadvertently associated context ..."
It's the same for me!
I don't listen to anything while I read now, although I used to ... well, I never actually listened. The music just sort of plays and I happened to be in the same room as the sound.
But I stopped doing that because I started associating the sound of the music with what I was reading at the time. It's sort of disorienting, almost dejavu-ish to be doing something or anything and a song comes on and suddenly you're thinking of Pug in Magician: Apprentice or of generic-character-A from Wizard's First Rule.
I was listening to some Ravi Shankar when reading one of the Redwall books. Now that album and Redwall are inseparable in my mind. They actually go together pretty well... classical religious music for a book about an abbey.And yea I couldn't listen to listen to music which had lyrics in a language I understand. Foreign language lyrics are fine, that's pretty much the same as instrumental music. :)
Back in high school and college I used to do this a lot. I never tried to fit the music to the book, just put on the music I was listening to at the time. Thus the (for good or ill) permanent association between Andre Norton's "Witch World" series and early 80's Cure albums. The moods of the two actually fit pretty well.
http://www.rainymood.com/ or other nature sounds are very relaxing for me while reading a good book.
When I lived at home, I would listen to white or brown noise because my sister would always have loud music on.
No music or white noise, I love thunderstorms, but reading outside in a thunderstorm might be a little...soggy?
I usually play instrumental/electronic music. Some of my favorites--Jean Michel Jarre, Mike Oldfield, Tangerine Dream, Midnight Syndicate & certain Alan Parsons Project albums.
Edward wrote: "I usually play instrumental/electronic music. Some of my favorites--Jean Michel Jarre, Mike Oldfield, Tangerine Dream, Midnight Syndicate & certain Alan Parsons Project albums."If haven't already, I would suggest checking out BT's SoundCloud page, some really good stuff posted there.
http://soundcloud.com/bt
Rain,nature, sound of trains,etc. Anything without words.
Often ambient music Example-
http://www.ultimathule.info/listen.html
I wasn't think about white noise, etc. when I first responded here. I was only thinking about music. I live in a house full of noisy people so sometimes while reading I will listen to some white noise/rain sounds while reading. It's more about blocking outside disruptions then something I want to hear while reading.
Kim wrote:" It's more about blocking outside disruptions then something I want to hear while reading."Ditto. I also started using the mp3 feature on my kindle for that very purpose.
I rarely listen to music when I am reading now, but when I was a teen I would often get my monthly paycheque then go and buy new books and CDs. Often I would listen to my new CD pretty obsessively including while reading in my room. For that reason certain books still have internal soundtracks to them, and hearing the songs can make me think of books.The first 3 Wheel of Time novels sounds like August and Everything After by Counting Crows.
...and if you don't like instrumental or naturethere's always- Soft ambient tunes
with mission control occasionally popping in
http://somafm.com/missioncontrol/
Classical works best for me. I find lyrics to distracting except opera when it's in a foreign language. My favorites are just about anything by Richard Wagner. The other work I would highly recommend is the World of Warcraft soundtrack for Wraith of the Lich King (I found it on iTunes). It's an excellent orchestra piece and works well for both sword and laser.
Leo wrote: "Classical works best for me. I find lyrics to distracting except opera when it's in a foreign language. My favorites are just about anything by Richard Wagner. The other work I would highly recom..."
I've recently become a little bit obsessed with Wagner, specifically the Mariinsky Orchestra SACD release of Parsifal (conducted by Valery Gergiev).
I usually choose some liquid dnb or deep house, anything actually as long as it goes with downbeat sounds. Also, headphones are not my thing, love my a/v receiver.
I have white noise and nature sound on my ipod.I also like the Pandora downtempo and chillout playlists.
Soundtracks by Cliff Martinez (Solaris, Drive) are great for laser picks. I was listening to the new Sherlock Holmes soundtrack while reading Sherlock Holmes.
I really like listening to Trans Siberian Orchestra music, or Sarah McLaughlin when I'm reading on my lunch break at work. If I'm at home, I like to listen to all the Stars albums on repeat.
I am a big fan of movie score music as well, and like many others tend to favor music such as that (without lyrics) rather than more modern or lyrical music which is, to me, distracting while trying to read. Some of my favorites are the scores from:
The Painted Veil
The Fountain
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
The Dark Knight
The Wolfman
The Hours
Star Wars (all)
Sherlock Holmes #1
Also there are some great video game soundtracks out there, such as Assassin's Creed 2, Halo 1, and Gears of War.
Mod
In the past I'd listen to a lot of Pink Floyd. Everytime I hear shine on you crazy diamond, it reminds me of reading the Dark Tower books back in High school.
I found myself on a plane from London to Pennsylvania a month ago. I had resolved to get through as much of Ulysses as I could on that flight. In order to combat the loudness of my surroundings, I put on the plane's music offerings, and because I thought it would be hilarious, selected Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. You know the wacky funtimes one can have when one combines Dark Side of the Moon with Wizard of Oz? Mixing it with Ulysses is the exact opposite of that. You go to a strange, terrifying place, deep within yourself and yet a place that is totally, horrifyingly other, a place where all is oblivion and screams, and the screams are somehow also vaguely comprehensible streams of consciousness.
I do not recommend it.
Mod
The Sword and Laser
Books mentioned in this topic
The Hound of the Baskervilles (other topics)Ghost (other topics)
Among Others (other topics)
Redwall (other topics)
Magician: Apprentice (other topics)
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I even have a few select playlists just for listening to while reading, the playlist depends on my mood and the book's subject material.