Music to (Not) Code By

Oh, and damn you to Heck for putting that song back into my brain.

Being both a programmer and an amateur musician (www.voind.com), having any music playing reduces my productivity in more than half.

Whenever I listen to music (new or old) I disassemble it, analize it, stare at it, examine its structure, the way everything works together, the emotions it triggers, etc… Too much to still stay focused on coding. In fact when I am listening to music it takes me all my mental capabilities

It is like having a couple making love all day next to you while you’re coding. Depending on how much you like that activity it would either distract you and/or make you sick and tired of that at the end of the day.

I am moving to another job and one of the my requirements was to have a music-free environment.

A fun/funny post today, Jeff. Thanks. I spent my childhood listening to that music. Imagine being exposed to that stuff as a child. Maybe that’s why I rarely listen to music, and when I do it’s almost always jazz.

http://somafm.com/ is my favourite.
Groove Salad Beat Blender are the best for me, also Drone Zone works if I want something that is guaranteed not to distract me (no lyrics, usually no beat).

Well, when you suffer dyslexia, -which is not as we think in France an excuse disguised in a pathology- you focus more easily when doing more than one thing at a time. So when concentration for programmation is required music is a must have.

You would think people having problem in reading/writing should not be oriented at first to computer science.

But even though we do make more than average spelling mistakes ( = instead of ==, forgeting to close ), doing poorly under exams-like conditions, and get stuck with easy problems, we are not disabled people. It seems we are just different ; we do think differently thus we can for instance solve naturally some problems others can’t.

Therefore music is one of my everyday working tool just. And I guess I am not the only one.

Still thinking that open space is a great productivity crusher because they are so noisy and they higher the probability someone is gonna interrupt you while you have one phase of pure concentration.

For most people I don’t think music is the solution but instead that open spaces are the problem.

I’m quite happy that the radio is on a channel I like.

Having to hear bad music all day, that’s just depressing…

Hey! What’s wrong with Starland Vocal Band?

Usually I listen to Digitally Imported online radio, Vocal Trance section. I’ve listened to this station for something like 3-4 years so I know most songs they play. Some may consider this type of music really cheesy, but I love it when I program. The words don’t bother me at all.

Surely there is no more sublime coding song than:

Clubbed To Death - Rob D

Pros:

  • High tempo makes you work faster
  • No lyrics to distract you
  • Strong beat which you just have to time with each hard return

You forgot Rick Astley.

I tried to code to Led Zepplin once… wow, that was a BIG mistake!

I can listen to music while programming only if there are no vocals. I don’t know what it is about the human voice; it seems as though it engages your brain on a subconscious level somehow. If there is any singing with the music, I completely lose the ability to focus.

I don’t often work with other people, and in this case I think it’s probably a good thing, a quick look at my current play list (party shuffle) in iTunes looks like and you’ll understand.
http://www2.unkwndesign.com/pics/iTunes.png

The last time I had someone here they nearly went nuts.

Forget about music. I dont like hearing music anyways. I put my VLC-player in the taskbar and listen to TV-Series like Magnum P.I., Seinfeld or a recorded documentary. You cant catch much of the plot, but it is a nice background to listen to.

Zeppelin’s Presence is great to code to, I recently discovered.

Mauro, you must be a musical kindred spirit, you do exactly the same as myself! For (2) check out Mouse on Mars, Stewart Walker, Delarosa and Asora, Baby Mammoth, Ott, Tripswitch. For (1) check out Kino, Frost’s Milliontown, Ozrics of course and Enter Shikari.

While we’re on music - can anyone recommend classical music that would appeal given an interest in symphonic prog rock?! I should add that I think Overture to Marriage of Figaro is an amazing piece.

I can’t bear to listen to any music while I work - it’s too distracting. I’ve tried every genre and they all interrupt my concentration. I used to think I was strange, given how many programmers do listen to music while working, but then I read a quote by Milt Kahl (http://legends.disney.go.com/legends/detail?key=Milt+Kahl) who, when asked what music he listened to while working, said I’m not smart enough to do two things at once. I guess I’m not smart enough either.

I usually have Internet radio running. Right now I like listen to Japanese radio. Why? Because I don’t understand a word. This might sound stupid, but when I can understand the lyrics, my mind starts listening to them, this distracts my focus from code to the lyrics… bad stuff.

But since I don’t speak Japanese, listen to Jap. Music is like listening to orchestral music without lyrics at all :slight_smile: People are saying and singing something, but I usually have no idea what they are saying or signing. And I like this JPOP sound - though it’s not all pop music. If you like really hard heavy metal, search for the Japanese band Maximum the Hormone (there are some music clips from theme on YouTube); I like these guys.

Sugoi :slight_smile:
(that means great, often used as cool - okay, maybe I understand a couple of words)

Great set of tracks, I can’t stop laughing while listening that … you made this Monday much more bright! I have to try to break coworkers in my office as well! :slight_smile:

Thanks for the Mixwit link. Love that music. Of course, if someone started pumping ANY music out across a programming pen, I’d have to quit. You want music, use some headphones.

@Mecki: Check out Groove Salad on www.somafm.com. No lyrics, just wonderful soundscapes.