Blog Post // 2020-10-09

Where Do You Listen To Music?

There are some people that rarely go out of their way to listen to music. As well as people that listen to any music at all but don’t connect with it. I am not one of these people. I connect in a deep way with music!

When I was a child I would find a spot to sit in the woods and sing songs. The combination of using my voice and reliving the song was healing. I also spent a great deal of time just letting songs penetrate as I put my full attention on them. I would rest on my bed drifting into music land.

My friends were also music lovers. We used music as a form or entertainment that brought us all together. We would watch interviews and live videos of our favourite bands. We would listen to it in the backdrop of good times together. Many of us knew every word and instrument as we hummed along.

As an adult, the atmosphere in which I experience music has changed. I have listened to music as I was walking through the woods, I have laid down and listened to an album, but I guess as I have gotten older I have broadened where I enjoy music and have added busyness surrounding my old kind of experiences.

Travelling

A favourite place of mine is in the car. I think this is because as someone with attention deficit I actually feel more focused when I am doing something else in combination with the preferred activity. I find I just hear more of the music, the lyrics set in more, the emotion is stronger, the sense of freedom is apparent.

This started as something I would do travelling to and from work. As a sense of needing an escape became more prevalent, it became more appealing to go for a drive and take in some music.

I like to think of what to listen to on a trip I know I have to take or want to take. I find I remember the scenery and associate the experience with the music. It is like they get filed together in my memory.

I do find if I am travelling to something particularly challenging, I actually like to take 5 or 10 minutes to pull over or park somewhere and blast something particularly aggressive or energetic. I guess it is a way to get rid of some negative energy and prepare myself for the difficulty.

Before my driving days, I often listened to music during a commute on transit. I guess it put distance between myself and others and allowed me to just focus on the music and escape before arriving at my destination and having to get back to reality. It helped me accept what I needed to do upon arrival.

Social

I still enjoy listening to music with friends, but what the music is will depend greatly on the group of people I'm with. If I think they can handle it, the music will be heavier. If they are not into heavy music, an easy-listening compromise must take over. I try to respect that heavy music isn’t for everyone. It is still a nice backdrop to have music playing when playing a board game or just hanging out. Most of my friends are pretty open to a heavy mix.

Live

Obviously, going to a live show is a great way to experience music. The atmosphere is just right, because the band has created it for you. You are surrounded by others on the same page. Everyone is enjoying the music!

While Active

Another common situation for me has been to put some great tunes on blasting while I take on a task such as cleaning or organizing. I feel like in these situations it is motivation to keep me moving forward. Maybe it keeps me in my introspective mindset while being on task at the same time. Combining a few things makes them both better.

Another example of this is how I am currently listening to music while I type. I find it really brings more creativity or even just thought flow to be listening to music. If I am having a particularly rough time working through something, listening to music while I am running the scenario through my mind can help me stay focused or just have more mental clarity.

Work

Another place I listen to music is at work, although it is usually only when things are quiet and I am basically by myself. I feel like the type of music I like isn’t translatable to just anyone - it actually is upsetting to some people that don’t appreciate it. I certainly do take the moments I can at work to listen to music. Jobs I have had in the past, with actual breaks, allowed for me to put on earbuds and disappear until I had to return to work.

Walking

I wish I could say I listen to music while walking, but the truth is I am too paranoid. I live in a small town so you would think I would feel more comfortable than in a larger place. I dream of listening to music on a walk but I am not relaxed enough walking through town. I worry about not hearing a car, a person talking to me, someone following me, etc.

I do sometimes play music aloud as I go for a walk in the woods. I find it is also a place I wouldn’t want to listen with earbuds because I would fear I would miss the sounds of an animal that I need to be aware of. My dog does help to alert me.

I guess we have gained from this that I am not very relaxed.

Distraction

I have listened to music during painful experiences, both emotionally and physically. One example is when I had my wisdom teeth pulled. I had my music at a 10. I told them to tap me if they needed my attention. I was going to drift away to a nicer place. 

I am thinking when I get my first tattoo (was scheduled to have it done but then lockdown hit) I will probably be listening to music. I guess it will depend on if the tattoo artist is chatty. If she does better work when she is in conversation or when she can just focus on the piece of art. 

The danger here is that sometimes painful experiences can get attached to songs and then the songs are hard to listen to later. Maybe that is a good thing?

Bath

To continue on with this theme, I think a bath is a great place to listen to music. I haven’t recently because I have a hard time giving myself the time to relax in a bath. This is something I am working towards. I once enjoyed them when life was less hectic.

Working Out

I know there are many people that gain motivation from music when working out. For some reason this has never been me. I actually found it too distracting when it came to working out.

Sleep

I know some people find listening to music creates the right atmosphere for sleep. The problem with this for me is that although there are definitely songs that make me feel ready for sleep, when there is a change in the music my body recognizes it, and I instantly jolt out of sleep, over and over. I am way too aware of what is going on. I have thought about creating a relaxing metal song list and listening to it prior to heading to bed. I think I need to actually try this sometime. The end of the day is when I am the most tense; I could really use letting go of it. I did listen to an album the other night that relaxed me greatly, and falling asleep was easy after the experience.

Sex

I know for some people there is a certain type of music they want to listen to to create a mood for sex or increase the enjoyment. For some reason, this is not the case for me. As long as it is music I like, I am not worried about the exact song. I mean, there is no mistake that some songs induce thoughts of sex, but they aren’t necessary as a mood creator.

So many places music has helped me. Where would I be without it?