Music for the workplace

[Ja.x]

I'm very curious about (if and) what kind of music people listen to in their workplace:

1-Do you listen to music while working? Does it make a better day for you? Your choice, or you have to bear with other people's choices? Different preferences produce conflicts? Does it increase productivity?

2-What characteristics should it have (tempo, time signature, frequencies, dynamics...)?

Mind that I'm not talking about the theory of music's psychology, I'm talking about your own experience.

Thanks

[CypherOne]

we don't have music in my current workkplace - we used to but it just turned into an argument over which radio station to listen to.

I used to work in a record store and it was fun trying to squeeze Photek and Led Zeppelin into the playlist amongst the latest releases. The strange thing was that working there ruined my enjoyment of music for a while, i.e. it was the last thing I wanted to listen to when I got home, which resulted (for a short while at least) to me listening to the missus instead and sometimes watching TV.

Needless to say I left quite quickly and normal service was resumed...

[haydxn]

no fixed rules, except that DnB is dangerous for the workplace!

[anoke]

I usually listen to those webradios listed in Winamp or iTunes.

Mostly ambient/chill, but occasionally (acid) jazz and funk channels.


As haydxn said, dnb is dangerous for the workplace..

[CypherOne]

no fixed rules, except that DnB is dangerous for the workplace!

and for driving..

[IIRs]

1-Do you listen to music while working?

Yes. I make ringtones for a living.

Your choice, or you have to bear with other people's choices?

Our clients choose.

Does it increase productivity?

Safe to say my productivity would drop if I didn't listen to the source material!

[HelgeG]

1-Do you listen to music while working? Does it make a better day for you? Your choice, or you have to bear with other people's choices? Different preferences produce conflicts? Does it increase productivity?

I listen to music all day. I am sitting in a cubicle and listen with headphones on. I work as a programmer, and music helps me keep my thoughts in place. Most of the time my mind is fixed on whatever problem is at hand, and if a part of my mind is running free, it can lock on to the music. If there is only silence (i.e. the general buzz of an office), the mind tends to wander and I loose focus. It sounds weird, but music acts as a "fence for the mind" so that I can keep my focus on work.

2-What characteristics should it have (tempo, time signature, frequencies, dynamics...)?

Depends on mood and task at hand, no hard and fast rules. I usually listen to fast aggressive music when doing routine tasks, and slow down into ambience when I need to concentrate deeply.

[Hellbilly]

I listen to Secrent Agent Radio and Lounge Radio all the time. Nice chilled beats and jazzy stuff.

[haydxn]

hey yeah, secret agent radio has some great tracks come up

[herodotus]

The main advantage of my job, which sadly does not involve music, is that I work by myself for 70% of the day and can listen to whatever the hell I want.

Yesterday it was a marathon session of the Melvins, with some Tomahawk thrown in for good measure....Speaking of which, I should probably pick out some c.d.s for work today...

[Ja.x]

Thanks guys. My main motivation to start this thread was to know if it could be possible (or make sense) making music strictly for the workplace. Music aiming people in the office, like "furniture music", but not exactly "Ambient": not "relaxation" music, because the company is not a country club and the office is not it's relaxation facility, but music aimed at improving eustress ("positive" stress).

I know it arises some problems, like the freedom of choice, but in the office you don't chose the furniture or the curtains either, do you? Often it's a job left for experts... And I'm talking about "furniture" music, remember?

Next step would be to find a common platform, i.e. music that could have these very properties if not for everybody, at least for a broad number of people. And as we are talking about culture we should be able to find a transcultural type of music. A new genre? Fusion of known genres?

[IIRs]

Next step would be to find a common platform, i.e. music that could have these very properties if not for everybody, at least for a broad number of people.

Its called "Lift Music".

[clueless]

Thanks guys. My main motivation to start this thread was to know if it could be possible (or make sense) making music strictly for the workplace. Music aiming people in the office, like "furniture music", but not exactly "Ambient": not "relaxation" music, because the company is not a country club and the office is not it's relaxation facility, but music aimed at improving eustress ("positive" stress).

I know it arises some problems, like the freedom of choice, but in the office you don't chose the furniture or the curtains either, do you? Often it's a job left for experts... And I'm talking about "furniture" music, remember?

Next step would be to find a common platform, i.e. music that could have these very properties if not for everybody, at least for a broad number of people. And as we are talking about culture we should be able to find a transcultural type of music. A new genre? Fusion of known genres?

i think this could actually make me kill

[skipscada]

Personally I work alone and can put on whatever I feel like. I used to put on any sort of music for what I considered brainless work, but would go for unintrusive stuff when the work needed concentration.

To get repetitive, simple work done, I found smooth but up-tempo electronic music would do the trick. No strident rhythm patterns or anything. For me, that would mean things like 4Hero, Reprazent, deep house compilations...

For more demanding work that I needed to use the brain a bit to get done, only very unintrusive, non-vocal music would be bearable. Off the top of my head, eh some Antonio Carlos Jobim... can't think of anything else. Usually worked in silence in those situations.

Now I never listen to anything while I work. Working with text and statistics on a computer, sometime creative, sometimes just cutting and pasting, filling in forms or editing, whatever I do I realised I do everything better and faster in silence. That gives my time to really listen to music when I'm done working, no other activity except perhaps having a cup of tea, glass of wine, can of beer... That sort of listening is by far the most rewarding for me.

Music as fuel didn't work for me in the situations described above, but when for instance I have to do chores around the house, cleaning, washing up, assembling IKEA furniture, cook, up-tempo music always drives me on to work faster and enjoy it more (for household chores: dislike it less). Northern Soul is fantastic for cleaning! Dub is good for cooking. Anything you can sing along to works for washing up.

For workplace with several persons, I know I would deeply hate having to listen to radio stations, or basically anything other people would come up with. If you take an interest in music and have developed your won tastes, I think you're likely to react very badly to being forcefed someone else's choices of music. Even when I go to the supermarket or whatever, sometimes I just have to leave because I can't stand what's coming out of the speakers hidden behind the dog food. Music as furniture - no thanks!

My suggestion for a worthwhile album that most people should be able to appreciate and that could blend in without being nondescript ambient music would be George Benson's "Giblet Gravy"

[Churchy]

Thanks guys. My main motivation to start this thread was to know if it could be possible (or make sense) making music strictly for the workplace. Music aiming people in the office, like "furniture music", but not exactly "Ambient": not "relaxation" music, because the company is not a country club and the office is not it's relaxation facility, but music aimed at improving eustress ("positive" stress).

I know it arises some problems, like the freedom of choice, but in the office you don't chose the furniture or the curtains either, do you? Often it's a job left for experts... And I'm talking about "furniture" music, remember?

Next step would be to find a common platform, i.e. music that could have these very properties if not for everybody, at least for a broad number of people. And as we are talking about culture we should be able to find a transcultural type of music. A new genre? Fusion of known genres?

yes! perhaps also put subliminal messages to make the drones work harder

maybe even threats of being fired.. put fear into them and they will work themselves to the bone!