I suppose most people would claim that they have some kind of "special relationship" with music. But what kind of relationship is that?
Over the years, one thing I have become very aware of is the extent to which certain memories are triggered by certain kinds of music; by specific songs from a point in the past.
At the same time, I use music extensively as a creative stimulus.
Different genres seem to accomplish different things. For example when I listen to classical music I'm pretty useless as far as trying to do anything else. The music tends to be complex and it demands my full attention which means I can't really do anything else while it's playing.
For maximum productivity, I tend to listen to trance or progressive house music. Something in the beats serve as an interrupt for my brains that sends my wandering mind towards a place of quiet so I can actually focus on what I'm doing.
I'm not sure whether there's any scientific evidence to support that music can be used to be more productive, so I'm just going to say that it works for me.
That said, I do know that there's a whole science behind determining exactly the sort of piped in music is played in large retail stores to create the atmosphere most inducive to getting people to spend money.
Because I have always struggled so much with concentration and focus, I suppose I have given more than a typical amount of attention to what kind of music I'm listening to when I hit my creative stride versus when I feel more or less useless.
I should hasten to add that I'm not a musician, and even though my parents pushed me towards playing a variety of different instruments I never showed any natural aptitude for music. I just like to listen to it.
But I'm also aware of is that I quickly grow restless and fidgety if I have to work in silence. That turned out to be quite a problem when I was taking large exams both in high school and subsequently at university.
Lately, though, I have found myself getting creatively stuck quite extensively. Even my old favorites don't seem to be able to shake my brain loose. I am not sure why that is exactly, but I suppose we all go through our cycles in one way or another.
Thankfully summer is near, so I will be turning my attention to gardening rather than things creative. Hopefully, the creative spark will return soon, with or without music!
Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful Friday!
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2026.05.22 00:59 PDT
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I love listening to music, but the noise sensitivity from Lyme disease makes it exhausting. So I seldom listen to music during the year. The exception is Christmas music from the 50's. That plays all day long and doesn't seem to bother me.