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You are here: MacNN Forums > Community > MacNN Lounge > When was the last time you listened to music . . . and did nothing else?

When was the last time you listened to music . . . and did nothing else?
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SSharon
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Aug 5, 2011, 11:05 AM
 
Title says it all.

It has probably been a few months sit I sat down to listen to music without multitasking and doing other things at the same time. What about the rest of you MacNNers?
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lpkmckenna
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Aug 5, 2011, 11:20 AM
 
I find it hard to do anything when listening to music. It's pretty much a full-focus experience for me, like watching tv or playing a game.
     
The Final Dakar
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Aug 5, 2011, 11:31 AM
 
It's been longer than I'd like.
     
andi*pandi
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Aug 5, 2011, 11:41 AM
 
I never just sit and listen to music. It's always background while working, doing chores, driving. Does falling asleep count as nothing?

The last time I just sat and listened to music it was likely vinyl.
     
SSharon  (op)
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Aug 5, 2011, 11:51 AM
 
Originally Posted by lpkmckenna View Post
I find it hard to do anything when listening to music. It's pretty much a full-focus experience for me, like watching tv or playing a game.
What about when driving a car, do you listen to music then? I find myself multitasking when watching TV too.

I listen to music most of the day at work and either music or a podcast in the car. Only very rarely do I just sit and listen to music for the sake of music anymore. It looks like I'm not alone.
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ShortcutToMoncton
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Aug 5, 2011, 12:04 PM
 
We're all finding out that when we grow up, you don't have time for only doing one thing any more.

I almost never do it anymore, although I used to. Now it's mostly soundtracks for other events - reading, driving, eating, snowboarding, etc....

Last night for example I made my way through a Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings and an Art Blakey album...while reading.
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SSharon  (op)
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Aug 5, 2011, 12:10 PM
 
Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton View Post
Last night for example I made my way through a Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings and an Art Blakey album...while reading.
You still have time to read!? But seriously, I think your post is right on the money. There are more things competing for our attention so each one gets a little less time. I do 90% of my reading on Saturdays now.
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lpkmckenna
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Aug 5, 2011, 12:14 PM
 
Originally Posted by SSharon View Post
What about when driving a car, do you listen to music then?
No car. I walk to work, so I don't bother to have one. I do listen to music when walking.
I find myself multitasking when watching TV too.
I guess I do too. But I have a job where the TV news plays constantly.
( Last edited by lpkmckenna; Aug 5, 2011 at 12:26 PM. )
     
Thorzdad
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Aug 5, 2011, 12:22 PM
 
I spend my day working at the iMac, so, if I'm listening to music, I'm also working. Unfortunately, it's pretty rare I listen to music when at the iMac. I mostly listen to podcasts or NPR.

Lately, though, I have been taking occasional afternoon breaks and firing-up the amp and the speakers and just sitting down in my comfy couch and having a good old-fashioned listen.

Overall, though, I find that I simply don't listen to music nearly as much as I used to.
     
ShortcutToMoncton
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Aug 5, 2011, 12:24 PM
 
Beautiful set of speakers....classic.

Edit: although just noticed they're not matched...weird haha
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Thorzdad
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Aug 5, 2011, 12:28 PM
 
The JBLs were not built as mirrored units. Doesn't affect the imaging, though.
     
BadKosh
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Aug 5, 2011, 12:40 PM
 
Two weekends ago. A billion degrees outside, so inside is where I stayed. I listened to Vinyl and off the internet with SOMA-FM's "Secret Agent" stream. My Crown PSA-2 is just back from the shop, getting a clean and check-up, so it was the first time I cranked it up much. I listen with 2 pair of KEF 104aB in a 16 ohm config so the amp puts out half the distortion that it would at 8 ohms impedance. I use a DB Systems DB-1a preamp and a Aluminum MacBook Pro as the audio source from iToons.
     
ShortcutToMoncton
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Aug 5, 2011, 01:18 PM
 
I've had to make some significant downgrades - well, I kept my floorstanding speakers but they're in storage - due to space limitations in our new house. So I picked up some powered Audioengine A5s, running them optical out from an AppleTV 2 into a nice little 24/192 DAC and then through a classic Bryston 1B preamp. It's nice not to need an amp. Shockingly great sound for a small room, and takes up zero space - which is great when your house is probably 100 years old and built for a family of malnourished [little people?]!
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Aug 5, 2011, 01:22 PM
 
Spotify has renewed my interst in just listening to music. I am renewing my interest in listening to music I forgot about from my childhood and high school years.
     
finboy
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Aug 5, 2011, 01:40 PM
 
Originally Posted by SSharon View Post
Title says it all.

It has probably been a few months sit I sat down to listen to music without multitasking and doing other things at the same time. What about the rest of you MacNNers?
I've been thinking about this a lot lately, about when "listening to music" was an honest-to-God activity in my life, and not a side show.

But, to answer the question: Yesterday. And tomorrow I'll be able to answer the same. I've made it part of my nightly ritual now thanks to the iPod touch.
     
SSharon  (op)
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Aug 5, 2011, 01:46 PM
 
Originally Posted by finboy View Post
I've been thinking about this a lot lately, about when "listening to music" was an honest-to-God activity in my life, and not a side show.

But, to answer the question: Yesterday. And tomorrow I'll be able to answer the same. I've made it part of my nightly ritual now thanks to the iPod touch.
So how long does an average listening session last? Is it comparable to the time spent with other similar activities? BadKosh and ShortcutToMoncton I'm looking at the two of you for responses as well since I only understood about 10% of your posts.
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Demonhood
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Aug 5, 2011, 03:03 PM
 
A few weeks ago. When a particular song really grabs my attention, I like to listen to it without distraction.
But I'll admit that music is one of those things that I don't devote myself to exclusively. I absolutely will not multitask (except to eat or drink) while watching TV or movies. I have music as my background while working, writing, editing photos, etc.
     
bstone
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Aug 5, 2011, 04:24 PM
 
I haven't been listening to music because of the 9 Days, but I regularly go on youtube and watch videos and nothing else.
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ShortcutToMoncton
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Aug 5, 2011, 04:37 PM
 
Originally Posted by SSharon View Post
So how long does an average listening session last? Is it comparable to the time spent with other similar activities? BadKosh and ShortcutToMoncton I'm looking at the two of you for responses as well since I only understood about 10% of your posts.
I'm an album guy, so if I'm sitting down with speakers or headphones to listen to "just music" - which like I said nowaday is usually music + reading - it's usually for at least one album.

Having said that I generally have an iPod playlist running when I'm doing something non-TV related at the house - cooking, playing board games etc.....so that's just of indefinite length.

greg
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JMan09
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Aug 5, 2011, 06:09 PM
 
I am usually listening to music when doing homework/studying, using the computer, working out, or reading. I rarely just play music and do nothing else. If I do it's usually to play an album when I am trying to fall asleep at night.
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LegendaryPinkOx
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Aug 6, 2011, 05:04 AM
 
Actually yesterday, I gave Roger Waters' Amused to Death a listen for the first time. With all the nuances in there I felt like I was missing out if I did anything but listen to it. In fact, I paused it to use the bathroom so I wouldn't miss anything. Listening to good music for the first time is like watching a good movie for the first time. Though it's very rare to find albums that fit the bill.
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subego
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Aug 6, 2011, 07:49 AM
 
The closest is when I'm listening to Pandora specifically for new music.

I still have to pace and think about other stuff at the same time though.
     
subego
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Aug 6, 2011, 09:54 AM
 
Originally Posted by Demonhood View Post
I absolutely will not multitask (except to eat or drink) while watching TV or movies. I have music as my background while working, writing, editing photos, etc.
I've found I have to devote myself in the same way to podcasts, which has ultimately meant I've stopped listening to them. I watch little TV for the same reason. I'm millimeters away from ditching cable.

It's the big reason I like TWiT so much. The live stream gets categorized by my brain as "radio", and frees me up for multitasking. Podcasts get put into the "TV or movie" category, and I can't do anything other than pace.

I like to pace.
     
Jawbone54
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Aug 6, 2011, 10:11 AM
 
I honestly don't remember ever listening to music and doing nothing else. I listen to it while driving, editing photos, running, or whatever...but never by itself.
     
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Aug 7, 2011, 04:34 AM
 
I try to find at least once a week to do just this. It really helps to just mellow out, and be cool man.
     
Paco500
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Aug 7, 2011, 04:52 PM
 
The time I do it the most these days is with the kids. I love sharing my music with them and we focus on it. Sometimes we just listen, sometimes we dance about and sing along.
     
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Aug 7, 2011, 05:56 PM
 
^
     
sek929
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Aug 7, 2011, 05:59 PM
 
Much less frequently than I used to. Maybe about once a month I'll get the time/motivation (or is it the opposite of motivation?) to sit down and crank the stereo and just groove on some sweet tunes.
     
BadKosh
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Aug 8, 2011, 07:12 AM
 
Usually, I listen for 2-3 hours at a time. I listen to my vinyl some, but lately, Its been just to hear the differences in recordings as presented from the Secret Agent stream from SOMA-FM. Their music spans the 1950's through today, so listening to Mancini one moment, and !Impulse the next is interesting as far as acoustics, recording style, and quality of equipment on those recordings.
     
badidea
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Aug 8, 2011, 07:42 AM
 
Does drinking beer count as multitasking?
If not, then I did just this weekend. I bought the new Beastie Boys album and had to listen to it all the way through (only with a beer)!
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ShortcutToMoncton
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Aug 8, 2011, 03:03 PM
 
Drinking beer does definitely not count as multitasking. (Otherwise, I would be an awesome multitasker...but instead I suck. Awwww.)

Took a listen through Roxy Music's Avalon, I Mother Earth's Scenery & Fish, and the Black Keys's Brothers this weekend. All while drinking Refreshing Beverages of course. Three full dedicated albums in a weekend is pretty damn good IMO.

Also, SSharon:
DAC: Digital to Analog Converter. In a nutshell, they generally de-sterilize digital audio and make digital tracks sound good. There's one in every sound card, but most are cheap and not good. The high-end ones cost thousands of dollars, but cheaper desktop models running in the hundreds will definitely be an improvement over standard computer audio-out.

The rest of the talk was just preamp/amp mumbo-jumbo.
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Aug 8, 2011, 03:18 PM
 
This weekend I sat in a dark room whilst chain smoking to Pink Floyd's "The Final Cut", looped.

I kid.

I did listen to a bunch of old Enrico Caruso recordings, a real treat. Stuff like Vucchella, Tarantella Sincero, M'apperi Tutt' amore, Addio Mia Bella Napoli, Una Furtiva Lagrima, etc... on an old wind up Vitrola no less.
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Aug 8, 2011, 03:19 PM
 
This morning, I just got my hands on a first press of Crossing the Tracks by Bela Fleck.
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Aug 8, 2011, 04:42 PM
 
Before I had kids. The problem is I like to listen to music on a decent stereo system, not with headphones. I have to have an empty house and free time in order to listen to music. The empty house and the free time never happen at the same time.
     
   
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