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Post by Youngster Joey on Apr 21, 2013 22:26:11 GMT -5
How do you typically listen to music? Is listening to music an activity in and of itself where your attention is focused solely on the music, the lyrics, etc.? Or do you prefer to listen to music as background noise as you do other things?
I hate the sound of silence, so I listen to music all the time. But it's really just as a form of background noise. I have what you might call the aural version of tunnel vision, I guess? (Well, I'm really tunnel everything when it comes to attention, honestly.) When I focus on something, everything else gets blocked out. I can't focus on, say, playing a game and hearing music at the same time. So, while I'm conscious that music is playing, I never really listen to it that intensely or give it my undivided attention. "Good" music, to me, is music that actually catches my attention once in a while as I'm doing something else.
I never have any idea what lyrics to songs are that I've listened to hundreds of times are for this reason :(
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Post by Captain Zelar on Apr 21, 2013 22:35:45 GMT -5
I use music to drown out background noise so I can enter deep thought and zone out.
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Post by Umbra on Apr 22, 2013 15:00:47 GMT -5
Actively listening 95% of the time. The 5% counted as background music is for when I would either have music playing (rarely) while doing homework or for when I needed to block out outside noise with some really loud music.
For me actively listening to music is most enjoyable. And I probably do it more now than in the past since I took a year of ear training, where I had to actively listen to music to keep it in my short-term memory so that I could transcribe it on paper and get a good grade. I have learned to appreciate music more, too, by listening attentively. After you listen, in this way, to a song long enough, you start to hear and appreciate little things you never knew existed in the song. (Although, it could be the other way around, too. By listening too closely, you can notice little flaws, quirks, or even clippings--a dreaded occurrences in production heard as out-of-place, sharp "clip" sounds.)
As much as I like to actively listen to everything, in some cases, I have chosen not to listen to certain songs (mainly in prog rock) because they go on for too long. I have learned to be patient, though, and can actively listen completely to songs up to around 8 or 9 minutes. I imagine a lot of people don't have the patience for this. However, songs over 12 minutes are just ridiculous to listen to straight and attentively (unless you're high, I guess.)
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Post by gαявαge on Apr 22, 2013 21:34:16 GMT -5
I'm an active listener. I'm really good with words in general, and I like to sing, so even if I try using music as background noise, I end up getting more focused in the music that the actual activity I'm trying to do. Of course, if the song is purely instrumental, It sort of solves the problem but probably less than 3% of my music is instrumental.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2013 21:09:36 GMT -5
When I download new track I have to listen to them with full attention, after used to them I can listen to them while working ,walking, level grinding, etc....
but unlike Youngster Joey , I don't mind the sound of silince...I could use some peace...
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Post by sukotsuto on Apr 26, 2013 13:00:06 GMT -5
Background noise, because I couldn't stand being unable to sense everything else around me. I can never be lost into anything far enough to lose my senses for stuff around me. Sure, I would sometimes just listen to music alone while just lying down, relaxing, but I never fully let my guard down out of habit.
My form of active listening is listening to music while doing art, where I get into the zone if I match the track with what art I'm doing. It actually makes me even more alert of things around me while doing this, to the point where if someone throws a crumpled piece of paper at me, I'd try to catch it even while looking directly at my drawing/painting.
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