Textonic

Music has always been a major part of my life, and judging by the thousands of social media sites focused on this medium, the same holds true for millions of other listeners. Bands use sites like MySpace to promote their music, iTunes and iMeem to distribute their content, and PureVolume to network and be discovered. On the other side of the spectrum, many web workers use music as an environment enhancer, allowing them to set their own mood for design, development, or whatever the task at hand may be.

In my area of design I use music as an everyday tool for inspiration. Heavy hitting songs like This Calling by All That Remains and Say Goodbye by I Killed The Prom Queen bring out the grunge artist in me, while lighter, more experimental tunes like FCPREMIX by The Fall Of Troy have my mind spinning in new directions, allowing for mass creative growth. Most of the time I’ll simply set iTunes to shuffle and let the music flow in, but other times a certain sounds is needed to create the type of finished product both the client and myself will love. At these times I’ll narrow down my collection by excluding certain genres or albums, and even at times individual songs.

As a part of my own independent study I surveyed a few faithful Random Shapes IRC browsers about their own musical preferences in a working environment.

It depends on the work that I’m doing; if programming, then an upbeat sort of music works, but for academic studying, non-lyric and flowy (such as soundscapes) works well. Some music is distracting - but by experimenting one can find the best music combination. - Steven Bao of Auxiom.com

Some songs inspire me to continue working and produce wonderful things; others distract me and I start pretending I actually know how to play guitar and totally jam out. - Ranjani of Biscuitrat’s Grotto

I prefer music without lyrics when I’m doing work… so it’s usually soundtracks - Kamigoroshi of Kamigoroshi.net

It really depends on the music and my mood. Same thing goes for working out. - Anthony Cole of DeusExcelsior.com

I can’t focus without my music. It reduces my attention to other peoples conversations and sounds. - Bryan Culver of DarkRockstr.com

Overall the opinion is generally the same. Music is used as a creative stimulant for many, while others simply can’t work with any type of distractions. While the interests may change, the love of music remains the same. Music for work, music for sleep, music for life. I couldn’t imagine a lifetime without it.