is music a good or bad thing while working?

[pixel-abuse]

I find listening to music whilstt I work really helpful, lets me shut out the rest of the office that would otherwise be distracting and concentrate on what I'm doing. I guess the type of music also has some relevance.:wise:

[time and space]

music may or may not affect you in learning. this varies from person to person. some are bothered by it and for some it enhances their work and or learning as it gives inspiration and relaxation.

but to maximise learning it is advisable to focus your attention into it and not be distracted by music whether it be rock, r n b or whatever. music particularly those that have explicit lyrics and or disturbing beat, high (loud) volume can interfere with a persons attention and find oneself swayed by it.

so its really up to the person- whatever you find comfortable with or without music.

[EpShot]

it can help so long as it does not distract.

sometimes i listen to industrial, because its fairly easy to zone to. but the vast majority of time, i like silence.

[Kanga]

Ooooh er there are so many aspects!
Concept sketching = music in the atmosphere of the character you are trying to make.
Modelling = the same
Skinning and rigging = restfull / ambient and when reading none.
Animating = definately silence
Compositing = definately silence

Doing a funny character atm and even listen to comedy while modelling it!

Cheerio Chris

[L.Rawlins]

I'm listening to music as I work at this very moment. 'Frou Frou' to be precise.

It's only distracting if you want it to be. Just as much as an office full of people can be. (Or even this community. :D ) You just zone into what you're doing and don't think anything of the ambience or environment when you really get stuck into the task at hand.

Atleast, I do.

[mofo101]

I have found that all the best pieces I have ever made were done with either music (loud and profane I might add) or a movie playing. I find that it kinda "splits" my mind; I have one half, half focused on the music, and the other half on what ever I am working on. Every thing flows better and the results are obvisly better than with out background noise. This, however, I’m sure is not true for every one. What reasons against music does the book give?

[Chris Bacon]

well Im a compleate music adict....I NEED to be listening to music, like what Rawlins said..I get so absorbed in my work that it becomes a white noise....but its better then hearing the nioses of your typical student area while working.....

[metroeast]

So I decided that I am taking a 2d/3d animation course in sept. I bought the book " The Animator's Survival Kit" and inside there is a part about how you shouldnt listen to music while working.

So I was just wondering if you listen to music while working (or anything that might be a little bit distracting) ? and does it really effect your work flow a great deal?

I have this book too. It is really great. I just happen to agree with him on the music thing either. I find that music or talk radio helps me focus on the visuals. It isn't like someone is constantly trying to talk to me. It shuts everything else out.

That being said. I think that isn't the case for everyone. Also, in a studio, I can see how someone would get annoyed if their neighbor is listening to music (with or without headphones). They are forced to listen to something they breaks their concentration.

Music is just a personal choice.

[beelow]

Usually when I have cd player on, I am not distracted by outside noise. Usually when I am around people I tend to get distracted. Especially when I am at school! So it really depends on the person!:thumbsup:

[Matellis]

Thanks for the input :)
I have always listened to music while painting and doing 3d, but after reading that in the book I started questioning if I should maybe turn the stereo off while working. So maybe this week i will take a day and work in silence and see how productive I am.

[Jon A. Bell]

Thanks for the input :)
I have always listened to music while painting and doing 3d, but after reading that in the book I started questioning if I should maybe turn the stereo off while working. So maybe this week i will take a day and work in silence and see how productive I am.

If I'm trying to learn a new program (doing tutorials and so on), then I'll want to concentrate solely on that, so I won't play music -- I want one stream of input ONLY. :-)

However, if I'm doing production work that's fairly straightforward, my music's always on -- over 1500 classical, ambient, world and film music CDs, all digitized and playing on iTunes. I couldn't work without my music!

-- Jon

[shy-guy]

I cannot work without music :thumbsup: ;except in very specific situations, like when im learning a new program...

[DrFx]

I'm listening to music as I work at this very moment. 'Frou Frou' to be precise.

Hey, ot: do you wanna listen to the [remix I made (http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?PID=219794&t=1940) of them back in the day (breathe in)?

[stewartjones]

I have to say I have music on just about all the time! I don't really listen to it, but it's there and I can tune into it when I need a quick break! :)


If it's a dialogue animation scene I'm working on I have to have just that dialogue track in my head, so I tend to stay away from any music when I'm doing that sorta stuff. I guess it just depends on you as a person maybe?:thumbsup:

- Stu

[jussing]

I bought the book " The Animator's Survival Kit" and inside there is a part about how you shouldnt listen to music while working.Yea, read that too. :) It's the "I-I-I-I-I'm not smart enough to listen to music and animate at the same time!" page, right?

I strongly disagree though, I have to listen to music when I do 3D. Preferably movie scores.

Equally so when character animating - there's just no better way to shut out the outside world than to plug your ears in the headphones. :)

Maybe the guy who said don't listen to music while animating, was from a time where work music meant having a radio everyone listened to. That can be distracting, cause if everyone in the room is listening to the same music, it's like you're having a subtle, subconsciess conversation with everybody. -Somehow, you have to concentrate on the music, cause if one of the other comments it, you have to be ready to talk about it....

Or something like that........

But listening to music in headphones sends out a signal of "don't talk to me, I'm working", which I find very useful when animating.

Cheers,
- Jonas

[DingBat99999]

I'm no expert but I believe the theory goes like this:

When you're listening to music, part of your brain is occupied. This makes sense, right? So, if you're trying to do something else that also needs to use that same part of your brain, your brain has to work harder on filtering and sorting.

Take driving for example. This is an activity that takes a decent amount of concentration. Things like cell phones, talking to passengers, and yes, even music, cause distractions and reduce your effectiveness as a driver. Sure, everyone here is going to say they drive perfectly well when the radio is on, and most probably do well enough to get by, but the fact remains your performance is reduced. In an extreme example, there was a study published recently that found that cell phone users actually performed WORSE behind the wheel than drunken drivers.

The difficulty in this kind of discussion is actually proving it to someone. If you FEEL like you do better work with music playing, you will naturally resist the idea that it is detrimental, even if it is. The only way I could prove to you that music was reducing your efficiency is if I got you to do EXACTLY the same piece of art twice, once with music and once without. And, of course, your memory of the first attempt poisons the experiment anyway.

So, really, the discussion is kind of moot. If you feel better and feel like you're working better with music playing and you can't detect any reduction in performance then what difference does it really make?

[Wick3dParticle]

If you feel that the music is really occupying your thoughts...then obviously is can be a distraction.

In general, When I am doing work that I am familiar with, then I listen to music while Im doing it.
If I am trying to research something, experiment or try to learn something new in 3d...I try to keep the music low or not play it at all.

I guess it all really depends on how much you pay attention to the music.

[JDex]

For me... it hinders the learning process... but if I'm doing something I already know well, I can get in longer-lasting grooves with good music.

What music it happens to be changes frequently.

[evakristjans]

I like listening to music when I'm sketching or doing something I find myself fairly good at.
But when I'm doing detailed pictures or learning something I prefer the silence. I can't focus at many things at a time :rolleyes:

[DonaldKasper]

I feel that you should listen to music that best reflects the project you are currently working on. This way your mind is already gravitating on the theme you set out to work on. So keep away from the death metal is you are creating something for children. But on the same token if you are modeling a character for an action/shooter then you should turn that music way up.

Of course that is just the thought of one idiot on a forum.

[NanoGator]

So I decided that I am taking a 2d/3d animation course in sept. I bought the book " The Animator's Survival Kit" and inside there is a part about how you shouldnt listen to music while working.

So I was just wondering if you listen to music while working (or anything that might be a little bit distracting) ? and does it really effect your work flow a great deal?

Hehehe. I read that exact same blurb, I know exactly what you mean. I thought it was especially amusing that the guy specified classical music as if that would have made any difference.

A few years ago, my answer would have been "It makes me work faster!" After reading that book, however, I decided to explore it a little more. Now I think that was a knee-jerk reaction. Work was boring enough, I didn't want to lose my music privileges. I started paying attention to when I was listening to music and when I was struggling. The conclusion I came to was that when I was doing something difficult that required a lot of problem solving, music was slowing me down. It was, so to speak, eating up too many cycles. When I was doing highly repetitive stuff or stuff I could do in my sleep, it was just fine.

Example: While I was programming Maestro, I had a difficult time solving some of the mathematics behind pose saving. I had to generate a fairly long mathematical equation. I wasn't getting anywhere while the music was on. I had to have silence for a bit, otherwise I couldn't really carry on the equation in my memory. Alternatively, there were a lot of features that were actually quite simple to figure out, they ended up being 'grunt work'. It's like my fingers knew what to write, my mind could be elsewhere. I imagine it's a lot like driving. I can't stand noise in the car when I'm trying to figure out where I'm going, but music etc is just fine when I've driven the route several times before.

So, if you were to ask me, I'd say "Music's fine, but know when to turn it off."

[visionmaster2]

www.radio404.org (http://www.radio404.org)

my best brain energizer for working !

[Tonianni]

when working i always listen to it. what im working on determines the type of music i play it helps though!:wise:

[ecco]

Just to chip in the same thing as many have said here including Jon A. Bell, jussing and DonaldKasper. Working on autopilot such as modelling I always like to listen to music and if learning new things I go without. Especially true if following video tutorials.

The exception is music with lyrics- I end up concentrating on them instead so for this reason also I agree to movie scores being favourable, and themed to the project in hand if possible as said above. I can only really do it with earphones/ headphones as well as the sound is right there and nothing else can interfere with it.

In work we also sometimes have music on but only quietly and it gets turned down as soon as it needs to be for whatever reason. Also again, it's always movie soundtracks we have playing.

[ThE_JacO]

as much as I loved that book, I found that quote to be way off for people working in CG.

it's obvious that he never worked in an environment where you share an open space office with another 80 people, the building with maybe a few hundreds, air conditioned air blasting on your spine, some 30 workstations buzzing their fans around in a 10m radius, phones ringing, people walking around, your desk neighbor discussing a shader with another TD...

no music and especially no headphones music... yeah right.

two people on backlit tables with only the noise of a pencil rustling on paper in a room create a fairly different environment from the one we work in.

[MrPositive]

Yep I also ran across that quote and found that it is absolutely true but makes time move much slower. Does that make sense? Let's just say that I went back to listening to music because frankly I enjoy working a bit more with some tunes. Here's a good rule of thumb I like to use:

Start off with an hour or two of music but once you are really rolling and into the modeling piece turn it off and go. I find that my work is a tad better when the music is off, but frankly I enjoy it so I'm not going to seclude myself all the time.

[storyForge]

when i work i typically cant work with anything that has extensive lyrics. I try to find a purely rythmic trance song to go too. something thats repetitive can help me out sometime, high tempo gets the energy going well to. just my .02.

[desmondying]

music is ok, as long as I don't start to sing along or dance to it, I just put iTunes to shuffle and leave it minimised sometimes.

Talk shows, news, or anything with people talking are another matter. I can't do anything while listening to voices, when I work on the computer and listen to a talk show, its like having 2 people talking to me at once. I guess my mind actively tries to decipher what is being said.

[DrQuincy]

I listen to music but classical, ambient or trance music. Since it has little or no words and uplifting or soothing tones it really helps me maintain my convertration.

[yeoj]

i do listen to some music while i'm modeling. but when i start to animate, i find it quite distracting so i turn it off... :argh:

[HellBoy]

usually me, if I put the volume up very high, I can't work, but with low volume I am on it :twisted:

[Stu_Hacking]

I run with a pretty much constant soundtrack wherever I am :)

any silence is usually switching from one device to the next (arriving in the office and switching from the ipod to the PC)
the exception is when I'm talking to people of course.

I'd say that when I'm concentrating on work I can let the music drift into the background, and then when I'm running on autopilot (like right now as I type) I let the music move into the foreground and I can just close off whatever's going on around me :)

Listening to music is fine as long as you can still concentrate on important things - but I would hardly ever (if at all) work in silence.

[!Chucky!]

Well, Not sure how much help i'll be, seeing how i have yet to start the 3D process, but....I can tell you this...


Normally whutever im doing i will be listening to music, whether its me writing a rap ( normally just listening to a beat then ), if im playing games ( i'll turn down there music, and blast my own stuff ), back when i was in high school i always had my headphones on in class...so on and so on...

I guess it's cause i cant stand Silence...So with all that said, i perfer to listen music...makes me more relaxed, and i dont hear things like keys being pressed mouses being clicked, so on and so forth...music is relaxing, no matter whut type you like...

[ThreeDeityMike]

I think it really depends on the person. When I was in school, I had instructors that insisted that we couldn't animate and listen to music at the same time. Other instructors didn't care either way.

Personally, I love listening to music. It keeps me focused, it puts me in a certain mood and it even inspires me.

I believe in the "Meet the Artists" section, Carlos Baena said that he listens to different types of music depending on what he's animating.

So really, I just think it all comes down on the person.

[CelticArtist]

i spend all day every day in front of the computer modeling or uv'ing, if i didn't have my dvds or my ipod, i'd go insane. And the amount of ambient noise in a studio environment means you pretty much have to have some kind of filter (aka headphones). I find it helps actually keep me focused, when i don't listen to something or have a dvd on, i tend to not be able to focus my thoughts enough for modeling, i suppose i need to spread myself out in order to get something accomplished, weird i know, but it's worked well enough for me in a professional environment.

[RobW720]

We listen to www.streamingsoundtracks.com at work. It is kinda cool. A lot of instrumental stuff.

though at home when I am working, things without lyrics tend to produce the least ammount of distraction. When there are words I start to think about the words.

I would have to say my favorite modeling music would be Apocalyptica or classical music.

[Matellis]

thanks for the input everyone! ahh funny story , today i was sitting here modeling a level im working on and i had my headphone in then i realized I was sitting there for about 2 hours with my head phones in and no music on , so maybe i really dont pay attention to the music when im doing work , i felt pretty dumb when i noticed that lol
i find right now the last week I have been listening to a lot of A perfect circle and Tool.
And i really think now that I am looking at my model , the music has influenced my art.
do you think so ??? well if you guysare familiar with the bands

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/3716/bluetemp296it.jpg

[neuromancer1978]

I HAVE to have music playing, no matter what I am doing. I think it started way back in my early childhood, the parents always listened to music. Of course when I started doing 3D in my mid-late teens I had the music blaring.

Now I still have that habit. Of course since the broadband revolution, winamps shoutacst radio is on ALL the time. No commercials! I do have to agree though that when animating certain things such as facial, it is wise NOT to listen to music or your timing gets all messed up. But since my skills mostly go into shading I don't have that problem.

Industrial - "...it's the only way of life"
Metal - Been a staple in my life for eons
Soundtracks - streamingsoundtracks.com!

[SheepFactory]

thanks for the input everyone! ahh funny story , today i was sitting here modeling a level im working on and i had my headphone in then i realized I was sitting there for about 2 hours with my head phones in and no music on , so maybe i really dont pay attention to the music when im doing work , i felt pretty dumb when i noticed that lol
i find right now the last week I have been listening to a lot of A perfect circle and Tool.
And i really think now that I am looking at my model , the music has influenced my art.
do you think so ??? well if you guysare familiar with the bands

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/3716/bluetemp296it.jpg


haha i do that a lot also :)

I never listen to music when animating unless its some repetitive task like cleaning up the curves. but when doing other stuff like modeling , uv , texture etc i cant imagine doing it without music.

[L.Rawlins]

We listen to www.streamingsoundtracks.com at work.

I've never heard of that before. It looks pretty nifty.

[thistly]

For me it's either rather loud music or the neighbour's dog hoooowling and crying, and all the bratty kids on school holidays swearing and fighting really loudly and annoying traffic all day long :(

[faultline]

... listening to a lot of A perfect circle and Tool. And i really think now that I am looking at my model , the music has influenced my art. do you think so ??? well if you guysare familiar with the bands

hehe.. yeah i could see that a little... I like the seemingly randomness of it anyhow :thumbsup:

(obsessed tool fan waiting patiently for new album... not long now)

[colkai]

So I decided that I am taking a 2d/3d animation course in sept. I bought the book " The Animator's Survival Kit" and inside there is a part about how you shouldnt listen to music while working.
That's me,
If I listen to music, I find I start to focus more on the music. Or, if it's low level background music, I "tune it out" so there's no point in having it on anyway.

[AndyH]

Music is the battery that keeps me working!
I cant work in silence - iit makes me tired and bored.
If i have some good new music, the day at work just flies by really fast.

Ive got my trusty mp3 player on the go pretty much all day when im at work!

[XingWei]

im totally differnt from andy,,, i need to work in a environment that is like totally silent or else i cant focus. i can get distracted by smallest minor noise.... i guess that is why i always work through night.

[Matellis]

So from from what I have heard so far this is what I have come up with.

Listening to music is fine aslong as you are not trying to focus on learning something new.

sound about right everyone?

[Stu_Hacking]

So from from what I have heard so far this is what I have come up with.

Listening to music is fine aslong as you are not trying to focus on learning something new.

sound about right everyone?

I conclude that it's pretty much based on the individual :)

you should try working for an hours or so while listening to music and without listening to music then see how much work you got done in either scenario :)

you could also try learning a new aspect of modelling in either scenario and test yourself to see how well you learn with and without music :)

there seems to be a pattern in which people can model with music but tend not to listen to music while aniating... maybe the rhythm of the music is offputting when trying to focus on the rhythm of an animation?

just a few ideas :) - because I'm a programmer I spend most time typing so I listen to a lot of music since typing isn't something I need to concentrate on a whole lot. :)

[Buhby]

I have the same book and also questioned if it is really harmful to your creativity. Well, I have learned many things since then!

1) If you listen to a catchy pop song, your creativity will definitely go down (Along with your motivation)
2) If you do listen to music, listen to classical or some instrumental without a crazy catchy harmony.

In other words listen to Ambient music, music that has no words and usually does not have a crazy catchy melody.

Silence is also good, but hard to come by.

[SkullboX]

Ooooh er there are so many aspects!
Concept sketching = music in the atmosphere of the character you are trying to make.
Modelling = the same
Skinning and rigging = restfull / ambient and when reading none.
Animating = definately silence
Compositing = definately silence

Exactly the same here.

[enygma]

I have the same book and also questioned if it is really harmful to your creativity. Well, I have learned many things since then!

1) If you listen to a catchy pop song, your creativity will definitely go down (Along with your motivation)
2) If you do listen to music, listen to classical or some instrumental without a crazy catchy harmony.

In other words listen to Ambient music, music that has no words and usually does not have a crazy catchy melody.

Silence is also good, but hard to come by.
Couldn't agree more there. I have a lot of fiddle music and classical music in my playlist, but I also have the latest Weird "Al" album in my playlist as well. Try listening to "Trapped in the Drive-Thru" and be productive at the same time... :D

[havokzprodigy]

I need to pump music directly into my ears all day long, non-stop just to drown out the questionable music choice of my co-workers. I listen to so much music now, I have never ending beats in my head. From the very split second I open my eyes in the morning there is already a song underway in my head.

[heavyness]

i always have music playing when i'm on the computer.

if i'm working on laying out a 3d scene or something else that takes a little more concentration, i put on Aphex Twin or Pink Floyd. that works for me. try making a playlist of music that is very ambient and doesn't have much talking in it. the a bunch of nice ambient music channels on shoutcast.com (http://www.shoutcast.com/).

when i'm hammering away on straight up modeling, that is when the faster, rock music comes on.

i'll even listen to audio books and or podcasts when doing simple production work. like right now, i'm making a bunch of random objects for a flash game, so i'm listening to my podcasts for the week.


like people said above, it all depends on the individual.

[Cyborgguineapig]

The only time I find music in the workplace distracting is when I need to have constant communication with another team member that happens to know more about the specific task I'm doing. I find it annoying that they sit with their back to me and when I need their help on a certain matter I can't get their attention and have to get up and physically tap them on the shoulder, which is gasp... rude but omfg some people shouldn't listen to music when they work because it stunts the entire team.

[Improv]

So I decided that I am taking a 2d/3d animation course in sept. I bought the book " The Animator's Survival Kit" and inside there is a part about how you shouldnt listen to music while working.

So I was just wondering if you listen to music while working (or anything that might be a little bit distracting) ? and does it really effect your work flow a great deal?

What a goofy idea. Just because something is written in a book or on the internet does not mean that it has the corner on truth. :rolleyes:

It all depends on the person. Some people get inspired by having their favourite tunes playing. Others find it nothing but a distraction.

You decide! :-)

[Boone]

I remember in the book about Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire where an artist on the project said that he would listen to music that would sum up the character he was working on. For example, Dash Rendar would go well with something Rock'n'Roll - Elvis maybe. Wow, that was one of the most inspirational things I have ever read! ^_^

Richard Williams has told people how he opperates but in the end thats just his way. When people are arguing in the next room - the head phones go straight on and listening to Cruel Angel Thesis puts me back on track. When my Brother switches the Hi-Fi to some Hell-sent Oasis track I become the Incredible Hulk and scream for silence! When deep into my programming, KT Tunstall or Sheryl Crow seem to keep me focused...

Be good!

[SheepFactory]

I have been listening to the fountain soundtrack and the berkeley courses from itunes when I am working lately. No songs when I am animating though unless its something repetitive like fixing curves at the end , etc.

[siouxfire]

I think it depends on the person and the task at hand. I find it easier on the whole to work in quiet and as I enjoy doing the work, I don't feel I'm depriving myself of anything. Likewise, for tasks like unwrapping, a nice tempo keeps me on track.

Still, if I'm in a noisy environment, music is preferable to say the jackhammer outside or the gossiping colleague on their mobile.

[ParamountCell]

I really cant concentrate without noise. Total silence causes me to start daydreaming. The same with having my eyes closed to concentrate, my mind just wonders, so it seems like the more that I take in without thinking, the more I am able to concentrate.... or something like that. I have noticed the way my memory works is based on senses, if i remember a picture I also. remember a sentence that was said at the same time, I also remember the smell, or the taste of what ever. I think in pictures rather than words, I guess that is why I am not very good at comunicating with words. I have also found that broadening the music range helps, I was an RnB and hip-hop junkie, but I have noticed that listening to classical music actually helps me to focus more. Does anybody else here think in pictures? or do you think in words?

[TheChosen1]

I have the book as well and I agree. The book is about animation, not painting not modeling etc. Animation needs a lot of concentration and is all about timing. If music is playing, you almost have to completely tune it out to animate properly.

If I was just sketching or trying to model than music would help. Animation is a totally different story. Thats just my experience.

[shahabp]

when I'm working, all different noises around me can be more distractive! than listening to a music.

I really don't concentrate to music.it's just something that isolates me from those noises.

[bassaminator]

when animating, music messes up what little sense of timing I have- hugely disruptive. When modelling it can be great to have music, depending on how I feel, and when planing/thumbnailing music at a loud enough volume stops me from being able to think clearly- but sometimes I can get good ideas listening to music when I'm not actively trying to, but that isn't "while working" I suppose.
Many people I've worked with like listening all the time, so it varies from person to person (Yes, I've read- and swear by- animator's survival kit, but not everybody subscribes to every little thing in that book)

[bobtronic]

I prefer silence when I have to concentrate. Some ambient or instrumental music is ok too.

cheers,
Bob

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