Hey all, Studio tunes are incredibly important to my working process. They can jolly me out of a bad mood, help me hunker down and focus, motivate me and help me pick up the pace when I am doing production work. I was thrilled when my accountant told me they were tax deductible. This has me wondering what you all like to listen to when you work (one of my motives is to learn of some international favorites from this amazingly diverse community. Here is what has been playing at my studio lately. General work tunes: Damien Rice ‘O’, Kathleen Edwards ‘Failer’, Ryan Adams ‘Heartbreaker’, Whiskeytown ‘Stranger’s Almanac’, Al Petteway & Amy White ‘Racing Hearts’, Etta James ‘Sweetest Peaches’, my buddy Dwain when he drops by with his guitar. Design work: anything by Sarah McLaughlin, Rueben Gonzales ‘Introducing Rueben Gonzales’ Production work: Ottmar Leibert ‘Nouveau Flamenco’ Studio Clean up: U2 ‘Achtung Baby’, Pearl Jam ‘Vs.’
I listen to folk music from the '60s and '70s. This was my high school and college music, then while I was teaching high school until '79. Yep, I’m a nerd hippy wierdo. Paisley clothes, long hair, etc.
I always listen to music when I work and I have very eclectic tastes: symphonic metal, Apocalyptica , Haggard, Archangel, Movie soundtracks by Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore when I work metal, raise.
At the bench, Au4, Bon Iver, Gem club, Hozier, Jenn Grant, Artic Monkey, LP, Ruelle, Broods, Reuben and the Dark, Tom Odell, London Grammar, Agnes Obel, Augustines and Eminem,
For precise work or when I draw , I like Baroque music and opera, Phillippe Jaroussky, Christine Pluhar, Emmanuelle Haim, Ludovico Einaudi, James Everingham, Message to Bears, Òlafur Arnalds, Grand Corps Malade.
It’s all audiobooks for me. All over the board with books I enjoy. Particularly drawn to adventure-fantasy, where a group of honorable heros in a world with some sort of magical system overcome impossible odds and evil doers . A recent good one was Dawn of Wonder by Jonathan Renshaw. It was self published and is a widely read award winner.
Usually download for free from my library but purchase from audible.com when the library doesn’t have it.
Mark
It's all audiobooks for me. All over the board with books I enjoy. Particularly drawn to adventure-fantasy, where a group of honorable heros in a world with some sort of magical system overcome impossible odds and evil doers . A recent good one was Dawn of Wonder by Jonathan Renshaw. It was self published and is a widely read award winner.
Usually download for free from my library but purchase from audible.com when the library doesn't have it.
I’ve been listening to a lot of Electro Swing music lately. It’s basically updated big band stuff, similar to that from the 30’s & 40’s, but with a more modern sound. Most of it seems to be coming out of Europe. Being upbeat, with a fast tempo, it puts a smile on my face every time I turn it on!!! (no matter how much the solder refuses to flow…)
Music? This “noise” can be such a distraction that I can’t concentrate at my bench. I drove from Toronto direct to Washington, DC with no radio or any of my prepared cd’s. What did I do during this most enjoyable time? I did mathematical problems in converting km’s to mph, and back again… Solitude is the most treasured experience. I’m driving to Mansfield, Ohio end of this month with no music or any ‘noise’… again!
When I need a wake me up tune, I usually play some hendrix, but very much into Neil Young at the moment.
Often listen to BBC Iplayer when I’m looking for something more engaging, The McLevy victorian detective series is my particular favourite. For something comedic the very irreverant ‘Old Harry’s Game’, ‘Claire in the Community’ and the very brilliant John Finnemore’s ‘Cabin Pressure’ with Benedict Cumberbatch, Stephanie Cole and Roger Allam.
When I get down to something particularly tricky however, silence is golden.
Audio books as well. Intelligent sci-fi… Peter F Hamilton, Michael Flynn, Walter Tevis,
Music… Miles Davis early 1960’s Quintet, Wayne Shorter, John McLaughlin, Early Frank Zappa, Dayna Kurtz (DO check her out!), Biff Rose, Early music, Mahler symphonies, pretty much anything but whats on the radio.
On most occasions I find it difficult to work without music in the background. It helps center me. My choice depends on my mood that day and what I’m working on, and varies widely veering from Mozart to Nora Jones with many stops in between. The major exceptions are Techno and Country which I never listen to. At times, I find music to be a distraction. When I’m casting I like dead silence. Also when things are not going well (i.e. on the sodering bench or I have just cracked a stone etc.) any music becomes a irritating. After turning it off I usually leave the studio for some time-out. When returning later, in a better frame-of-mind, it is the first thing I turn back on after the lights.
Vinyl Cafe podcasts with Stuart MacLean are lovely to listen to unless you are doing something that requires complete control. The laughter can cause problems. A little bit of Canada from the CBC.Cheers,Karen
I do like light background music playing in my workshop. My favourite is Cafe del Mar dreams 4. but I also like Jean Michel Jarre, Vangelis. Roy Orbit. my non-workshop listening is completely different and is much heavier and includes Led Zep. Brian Gilmore/Pink Floyd, Philip Glass and lots of classical.
Most of the time when working at the bench, I prefer complete silence - apart from the sound of the tools on metal. I work better in silence, and like to contemplate… But if I am in the mood for music, it’s either Yo-Yo Ma playing Bach’s cello suites, or I’ll listen to whatever we’re working on in orchestra rehearsals, to familiarise myself with my cello part and the piece as a whole. I like the way you can passively learn something else like music, whilst being creative.