Vote

When I am trying to sleep, or work on my car or computer. When I listen to music, I do not want to be distracted by other things and when I am doing other things that require serious concentration, I do not want to listen to music.

Sure. It's just like taking a small break from playing my sax; you tend to go back to it with renewed freshness and technical prowess. I never take too long off though because it's so easy to lose your chops.

Somedays there are just too many other things that need attention. My music time is a pleasure and a time of stress relief. It is not an obligation nor should it be.

As enjoyable as I find listening to music, periods of simple silence are welcome also. I often wonder about folks I see who seem to have an iPod glued to their ears everytime you see them.

There are situations, usually sad, when you just don't want to do anything. It's not only about music.

A steady diet of just one hobby (music) isn't a good idea.

Once in a while I go on a outdoor trip, you know mother nature, and at those times I always realized that we have a long way to go before we can compete with Her .Man-made music just doesn't sound right when the wind whistles through the trees or the waves break on the rocks.

The last thing I want after a really noisy day is more sound. I also don't like background music when I'm doing things around the house. And then there are the times I just want to read a book. I don't understand how people can listen seemingly round the clock without feeling bombarded with sound. I want to really enjoy music when I listen to it, rather than listen all the time and really enjoy it ocassionally.

The problem isn't that I don't want to listen to my own music system, the real problem is the always present and unavoidable radio and commercial sound pollution! My favourite "scene" is snowboarding in an unexplored white heaven, surrounded by only the silencing sound of wind...

When I want to read a good book.

Without a little silence, music just becomes wallpaper. You need time to let the brain refresh before it gets filled up again. Plus, when I'm out of the house, I'd rather hear news in the car and I don't use portables for walking.

My life needs a soundtrack—no way do I go a day without tunes.

If I listen to FM for too long, it becomes repetitive. Vinyl rules, but only for dedicated listening time. I listen to classical music at night, so that eliminates 50% or so of my CDs for daytime listening. Some of my non-classical CDs are worth giving my complete attention to, which rules them out for casual listening. So there are times when I need to do stuff around the house, and don't feel like listening to any of the remaining CDs.

I listen to power tools at work. I love good conversation and good films. I can't think of a time when I don't want to listen to music, even when the music is coming from a race-prepared engine winding high.

Almost never but that's too definite. Maybe two days a month does the stereo not get listened to.

Sometimes when I've got a headache, I don't want to hear anything!

Depends where I am in my life, re: stresses, time, mood, work, etc.

Only once or twice a year I listen to three CDs in five minutes and I come to the conclusion: I don't want to listen to music at all. Must be stress or something.

I seem to want to crave a vinyl record and just play a CD. So I love to take the time and go through albums, take out what strikes a chord, and just listen to a recording one more time—and that takes a mellow moment in a rushed existence.

I don't think I try to condition my attitude toward music. About the only time I consciously avoid it is when my system isn't performing that well, which is going on right now. About a month ago I noticed that most of the depth had dissappeared from the sound, this after a test record cut that was supposed to demonstrate what in- and out-of-phase sounds like showed little difference. It doesn't make sense! I went from gobbs of depth to wondering if the illusion is in fact illusory, and being too busy I don't have the time or energy to track down the culprit. Ah, for the colder months!

I find it hard to listen to music when my mind is troubled about important things.

Life is too short.

I often hit next on the remote. No pattern noticed, just not in the mood for that recording right now. Fickle.

At work (when in the office), I rarely have a chance to listen. Nor do I really want to. I listen to music to relax and I prefer to keep my music and office work totally separate. Strangely enough, however, when working remotely (from home), I do like to have music on in the background.

Well, sort of often...I am forced to listen to music all day because of what I do for my day job, but it's poor sound quality, then I go to play a CD in my car only to be annoyed by the honky "4 letter B word" brand stereo it came with. I begin to think that music will annoy me when I get home. Then I don't listen. All I want is silence. I eventually will turn the real hi-fi on, and it's like ahhhh, because now I have music instead of noise.

I guess audiophiles would very likely answer "Yes, whereas music lovers, including me, would say "Never".

Why ask why?

Actually, the only days I don't listen to music are ones which are occupied doing other things such as gardening, home improvement, watching moves on TCM, and so on.

Sometimes I find silence restful and relaxing.

No music, no heartbeat. No heartbeat, no life.