What To Do When Listening to Music?

I have a dilemma. I don't listen to music nearly as much as I want to because I don't know what to do.
Car trips are by far the best time to listen to music, especially at night, but that's usually with distractions and people talking so I can't hear through my headphones perfectly. I don't have the attention span anymore to just sit back and listen eyes closed because music doesn't fully encapsulate me anymore like it used to. I walk to school listening to music and that works, but there's still lots of noise and I don't focus on the music much. It also doesn't work for me at all with albums that need a setting to feel the atmosphere.

I guess the question of thread is, what's your favourite thing to do while listening to music? But really, this is more of an 'I need help' type of thread.

 

Sorry if this has been discussed I did a search and yet again nothing came up but I thought I remembered having read a similar one.

 

I can't really help you .

I'm a music nerd. When I listen to music...I listen to music.

I put aside the time every night to sit and listen to music with no distractions. I find if I try to do something else, anything else, when I listen to music I miss things I want to hear.

Other than at work or whatever where music is just background noise I want to hear the music completely without trying to focus on anything else .

 

When I first started listening to music I sat down with headphones in my bedroom and listened with no distractions and that is my preferred method of listening. Now I listen to music at work, on road trips and while surfing the internet or gaming. Fun to listen to music and talk with someone with the knowledge and passion for music.

Nothing beats listening to music on a good sound system with it cranked so you can feel the music and hear every nuance.

 

If music doesn't transport you to inner space when you close your eyes and lay back with headphones then you might need a new type of stimulus. Music transports me like no other entertainment and enhancements help no doubt.

 

Drink a homebrew.

 

Cook. Shoot pool. Throw darts. Drink brew. Chat up a girl. Have sex. Read. Daydream. Smoke weed. Practice guitar. What can't you do while listening to music?

 

Depends on the music. Some stuff is music only .

Ambient music is good for reading. Songs I know by heart are great when doing housework. Headphones and good tunes help when doing dishes, dusting, vacuuming .

Board games with friends with background music works well, if everyone can agree on music.

I usually put my "random good songs" playlist on when I drive. Driving and singing at the top of my lungs never seems to get old .

If you have a partner there are certain things that you can to together to music.

If it's new music or something that I connect with or is emotional to me, then music only.

 

when I listen to music I am largely just sitting on the couch listening to music. When I listen to music that's what I'm doing. All attention. . . Yeah, I sometimes use it as backround noise when I am doing chores, but in the big picture I listen to music the same way people watch tv. (I like tv. lol.) but, I tend to just listen . .. So, just listen . . .

 

Put some music on, sit down, have a beer, study the artwork, read the lyrics, google the artist, read the wiki pages, read Allmusic.com, search and buy other stuff on Discogs.com. Enjoy & repeat.

 

Jeez.

Sit still. Put your feet up. Relax.

 

This is my point exactly. I want to focus on everything, yet at the same time, sitting back and closing my eyes doesn't do it for me. Car drives are perfect as it's something to look at without taking my focus off of the music.

If only I had these 'enhancements'.
Music used to do that, and I doubt I can find any other stimulus that can even remotely replicate the same thing besides drugs.

 

I've been thinking about reading the lyrics as I go actually. Not a bad idea. If I listened on vinyl I'd definitely do all that as well.

 

I enjoy jogging in place whilst consuming a mug of invigourating beef- tea.

 

I like to walk and listen to music.

 

What I do, generally speaking of course is kick back and listen. Seems lately though I’m on this board sharing my thoughts and reading yours about the love of music and occasionally when I’m inspired I grab my guitar and play with the music.

 

I'm often doing something else while listening to music. Reading the newspapers is probably no. 1 on the list. Posting here is probably second.

 

I love driving and listening to music. I even look forward to even the shortest trips because of it.
At home, I never just sit on the sofa and just listen to music anymore. I tend to surf the web on my laptop at the same time (usually here of course) or flick through an art or photo book.
Occasionally I will listen to music intensly on headphones but I always stand (by the CD player) while doing so. This makes it easier to dance, strike poses or grab the air guitar.

 

Read the Steve Hoffman forum.

 

Your brain is being rewired to resemble some sort of ADHD monkey on crack. This is the result of constant, incessant, never-ending stimulation from your smartphone, social media, youtube, the ease of streaming music and having access to damn near anything you want at any time at the click of a button. I recommend reading a book called Irresistible by Adam Alter, which talks about this problem which is only getting worse over time. You're not the only one who can't do *one* thing without doing something else. This is a result of constantly multi-tasking, a perpetually distracted mind.

Start be slowly curtailing digital distractions for your crack-fiend of a brain. Over time, and with practice, you'll find it easier to focus on just one thing. Taking up meditation would definitely help as well. But I suggest you fix this problem now. Nip it in the bud before it gets worse, because it will get worse.

 

Close my eyes.

 

I tend to listen most when I'm on my commute to and from work as I don't get the time to sit and fully listen like I used to. I have certain nights through the week where I make time to sit and fully listen to something fully with no distractions.

Other than that I enjoy listening whilst cooking and have been known to pop for a beer by myself armed with my DAC and headphones if there is something I really want to listen to but things are going on at home.

 

Seems like me and the rest of my generation resemble ADHD monkeys on crack in that case.

 

Do the ironing, play online poker, cook the tea, walk the dog. I listen while doing all of the above.