The Project Pad

I listen to most genres in general. I often listen to electronic music. Drum & bass, Dubstep, Chillout, Rock is what I work to. I must have listen to the same Subfocus mix 30 times when I was back home doing my 1st big project in the garage.

I'm pretty strange, but I actually can't really listen to music when I am in true project mode. If its something like a break job or other easy no-brainer I listen to whatever..anything from metal to old blues to 90's rap..but when I am working on something that I want to come out well, I need to be alone, and I need no music.

This is going to sound really douchey, but I feel like its mediation for me, and I can't have the external distraction and still get what I need out of it.

In the summer, I open the shop door and let the woodland creatures talk to me while I wrench...I also have a nice view of the sun setting on the Adirondacks from my west facing overhead door.

/Hippytalk

I agree with the meditation part, wrenching is usually the only peace and quiet alone time I get. I do have a great garage sound system for when I need it.

I tend to listen to NPR. The saturday lineup of Radiolab, Ted Radio and This American Life are usually on when I have time to work on the cars.
Or I listen to the Reds lose

I cuss too much to hear the music, especially when I tear a new hole in my hands/fingers.

Greg W.

Local rock station 99% of the time. Has some brutal metal for a few hours on Saturday nights.

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Ya, I hear you Dana. I'm not jamming out all the time. I have listen to talks shows before. I do like sounds of nature as well

dana wrote:I'm pretty strange, but I actually can't really listen to music when I am in true project mode. If its something like a break job or other easy no-brainer I listen to whatever..anything from metal to old blues to 90's rap..but when I am working on something that I want to come out well, I need to be alone, and I need no music.

This is going to sound really douchey, but I feel like its mediation for me, and I can't have the external distraction and still get what I need out of it.

In the summer, I open the shop door and let the woodland creatures talk to me while I wrench...I also have a nice view of the sun setting on the Adirondacks from my west facing overhead door.

/Hippytalk

I pretty much always have the radio on, but when I'm doing something requiring hearing protection I'll find myself still wearing the muffs/plugs a few hours later enjoying the quiet.

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Metal-based breakcore.

It's noise with a beat. I don't want to be distracted from working but I want some beats.

Depends on how I'm feeling. Local pop station, Mumford and Sons off of Spotify, mixed station of unknown country bands, acoustic covers.

I work best with music on. It doesn't much matter the genre; I like them all. But I don't listen to the words at all. Sometimes though, I do work in silence and don't even realize it. I totally agree about it being like meditation, even if there is music on for me.

To nerd it up a little bit, there was a piece on NPR about the "meditation" feeling we all get doing these things. I've experienced it as a painter when I was in art school, building massive spreadsheets in excel for my current job - and working on my cars. They call it "flow" and basically say it comes from your brain being so dedicated to what you're doing that you lose the ability to notice anything else.

You can listen here:
http://www.npr.org/player/embed/399806632/400189455

I totally agree with the flow thing. I find that I seek out activities like TIG welding, shaving with a straight razor, etc. because when I'm doing those things, it requires that my concentration be focused on only one thing, and I find that enjoyable. Even programming can be that way at times. Other times, it is the opposite of flow lol

It might be a podcast by Above and Beyond or Anjunadeep/Anjunabeats or Jaytech, or streaming some playlists on 8tracks.com based on stuff like DJ Shadow, Mark Farina, Rjd2, MF Doom, Gift of Gab, People Under the Stairs, or Thievery Corporation (for example).

Lately all I can hear is my air compressor though. Probably a good sign haha

In general I make playlists of entire albums. Sometimes it's albums I haven't listened to in a long time or its new albums I've never listened to. Sometimes it's both.

As you can see below, the genre's all have a "progressive" element to them.

I find that having music doesn't hurt my flow. There are those occasions where the stars align and I am frustrated while very aggressive music is on. Sometimes I will skip or pause. Usually music inspires me though.

Troubleshooting new issues requires silence though.

Last project playlist looked like this:

WHITE4K

Skyharbor: Guiding Lights
Skyharbor: Blinding White Noise
Pink Floyd: Meddle
Opeth: Ghost Reveries
Opeth: Damnation
Mestis: Polysemy
King Crimson: Red
Tool: Lateralus
Prince: Purple Rain
Devon Townsend: Deconstruction
Cynic: Traced in Air

I tried listening to podcasts but I just can't follow them when I'm deep in a project. The podcasts I listen to usually require my undivided attention.

Sean



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dana wrote:I'm pretty strange, but I actually can't really listen to music when I am in true project mode. If its something like a break job or other easy no-brainer I listen to whatever..anything from metal to old blues to 90's rap..but when I am working on something that I want to come out well, I need to be alone, and I need no music.

This is going to sound really douchey, but I feel like its mediation for me, and I can't have the external distraction and still get what I need out of it.

In the summer, I open the shop door and let the woodland creatures talk to me while I wrench...I also have a nice view of the sun setting on the Adirondacks from my west facing overhead door.

/Hippytalk

Not douchey. Very cool. I'm with you. When I am really troubleshooting something I need the silence and stillness....


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Noisy Cricket wrote:Metal-based breakcore.

It's noise with a beat. I don't want to be distracted from working but I want some beats.

Dude that's about how I'd describe Animal Collective, a band my oldest brother likes. Overall I just set my zune on shuffle and listen to every genre around. Mostly like earplugs in tho

Usually like to listen to classic rock 70's, 80's, sometimes i'll go with a lil metal, alternative. Sometimes i zone out. Really like internet radio, like Big R radio, much less adds than ota radio after a few songs. I just stream it from wifi via my phone to the old garage radio using the fm transmitter.

My garage stereo remote is missing at the moment.....stuck on the hip hop local radio station.....not my style. lol

Various XM stations (80's, 90's, alt nation, etc). I'm a huge 80's music fan, so usually that