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What music do you listen too while Programming?

by dru145 (Friar)
on Aug 17, 2001 at 20:20 UTC ( [id://105720]=perlmeditation: print w/replies, xml ) Need Help??

Monks,

I tend to listen to the radio all day while I work (I am fortunate enough to work from home). Lately, I've been thinking the type of music that I am listening too could possibly be effecting my Perl programming. I usually leave it on the alternative station all day.

I am curious what music (genere, bands, etc.) other Monks listen too while programming and if they feel their code is effected by that music. I wonder if a scientific study has ever been done on this?? Maybe this can be the next poll question.

-Dru

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: What music do you listen too while Programming?
by larsen (Parson) on Aug 17, 2001 at 20:37 UTC
Re: What music do you listen too while Programming?
by E-Bitch (Pilgrim) on Aug 17, 2001 at 20:33 UTC
    I would be willing to bet that the music does in fact influence the code. I would probably guess that it influences functionality, rather than quality, however.

    Example: I too work from home (yesterday was my first day from home, and I'm hooked... no more hour long drive for me!). When programming for work, I typically listen to very calm (tranceish) techno either from CDs, mp3s, or from shoutcast.

    When programming for me, I tend a little towards the violent side of things (Ministry, NIN, etc). That type of music is more inline with my personal style, but I dont want to *accidentally* get pissed off at someone at work and put a backdoor in something (just an example, but it illustrates the point). When listening to calm music, I tend to write better, more user-friendly interfaces. Am I alone in this?

    _________________________________________
    E-Bitch
    Tempora Mutantur Nos et Mutamur in Illis
    "The Times are Changed Even as We are Changed in Them"
      Well, for me it depends on the code, for a simple or short code , i usually don't listen anything, but when i have that big thing to program, i listen aerosmith, bon jovi, or any rock song
(MeowChow) Re: What music do you listen too while Programming?
by MeowChow (Vicar) on Aug 17, 2001 at 22:06 UTC
    When banging out obvious, straightforward, pre-planned code, music definitely keeps me in a rhythm and helps to avert boredom and a wandering attention span, but when I have to think deeply about a complex problem, eg. timing, races, nasty interactions, design, golf, etc, music is usually a distraction.

    Styles I like range from electronica (orbital, chemical bros, sasha, oakenfold, daft punk) to classic rock (floyd, zeppelin) to alternative (tori amos, bel canto, hooverphonic) to disco (abba, Bee-Gee's, and all the awful stuff in between). I also find that long techno mix sets are coder-friendly in that the transitions between songs do not jar you out of your thought process, as they do with a bunch of mp3's set to "shuffle" :-)

       MeowChow                                   
                   s aamecha.s a..a\u$&owag.print
Re: What music do you listen too while Programming?
by r.joseph (Hermit) on Aug 18, 2001 at 04:16 UTC
    My music collection is a wide range of types, and I imagine the same is true for many PM'ers. However, I have noticed that my work flow is affected by the music I listen to.

    I find that if I am listening to complex music (classical or orceshtrated, or music that is very loud, fast, or has a lot of lycial content) I have a much more difficult time thinking clearly and logically because my brain is instead focused on the stuble parts of the music instead of my work. Of course, this could have something to do with my musical training, as I am taken to analyzing any music I hear, but again, I imagine the same for many monks.

    However, in the past few months I have found that techno and dance-type music works well for me because it is ver repetitive, very predicatable, and therefore my mind gets bored of listening intently and instead allows me to focus on the job at hand. Now, I not putting down the new electronic techno music, but I am just pointing out that it's lack of complexity is actually easier for me to work with than say, "Jupiter" from Holst.

    Well, there's my dos centavos...tell me whatcha think!

    r. j o s e p h
    "Violence is a last resort of the incompetent" - Salvor Hardin, Foundation by Issac Asimov
Re: What music do you listen too while Programming?
by jynx (Priest) on Aug 18, 2001 at 05:17 UTC

    is yes an answer?

    While you can find a list of material i regularly listen to in one of the previous threads larsen brought up, it interests me that i can't work without music. When no music is playing (this includes nothing in my head) i can't even think my way out of a box. Ok, stop laughing and assume i can normally ;)

    Oddly enough, i tend to write code equally well no matter what is playing.

    Maybe i have so immersed my life into music that i let it express my mood rather than create it. Or maybe i'm full of it? Who knows, i just thought it was odd that i seem different in this way (from everyone i know).

    i know back when i lived with roommates in college it always annoyed them that i had music going while they were studying. i never understood how they could study without music going...

    Is there anyone else that can't think without music?

    jynx

    update: ok, i now remember what i can't listen to while coding: Paul Oakenfold. All i do is get up and dance :)

      the answer is yes.. :) i can not code/ work/ study without music. I can not concentrate. Any kind of music it may be. there is randomness however. Sometimes i can not bear what got me fueled the other day .
Re: What music do you listen too while Programming?
by scott (Chaplain) on Aug 17, 2001 at 21:00 UTC

    None. I find that I write better and faster in total silence and in a hard wooden chair and good lighting (not florescent(sp?)).

    Yes, I'm serious. :)

Re: What music do you listen too while Programming?
by dga (Hermit) on Aug 17, 2001 at 22:17 UTC

    No scientific study to back me up on this but it seems that music helps me avoid distractions and focus while coding and I get more done.

    I usually code to classical music. Beethoven symphonies, Bach organ music and usually not the quiet restful stuff but the loud fast stuff.

      I find very loud music helps me concentrate better while coding. The only problem with this is my variables often get a a little strange...

      if ($acdc >= $aerosmith) { ....

      Classical music and trance are also excellent for very repetative work.
Re: What music do you listen too while Programming?
by jryan (Vicar) on Aug 18, 2001 at 03:14 UTC
    Normally when I'm driving, or playing games, etc. I tend to listen to really angry music. Mostly local stuff, but also stuff like NIN, KMFDM, others. However, when I am coding, I like to listen to "goofy" stuff, like the Bloodhound Gang, Primus, Cake, Zebrahead, and other bands that are kinda "light" compared to my other music. I think the reason is that the "goofiness" tends to lighten me up a bit, and allows me to be a little bit more creative and pay more attention to what I am doing. I have a feeling that if I listened to angry music while I coded, it wouldn't take long for me to bash my computer to bits because of some hard to find syntax error :)
Re: What music do you listen too while Programming?
by jlk (Hermit) on Aug 18, 2001 at 22:40 UTC

    Personally, whenever I am doing any coding, I like listening to Enya. Sometimes, I turn to classical or classic rock.


    #jlk


    Learning Unix sometimes involves Pain, PaIn, PAIN!!

Re: What music do you listen too while Programming?
by greywolf (Priest) on Aug 19, 2001 at 08:04 UTC
    I almost always listen to herd rock and heavy metal (mostly 80's stuff). When I'm coding I can hear the music without really listening to it and it doesn't distract me.

    However when I am designing a project, figuring out a complex problem or testing something that should be working I listen to classical music. At these times I find that anything with lyrics tends to distract me.
Re: What music do you listen too while Programming?
by ralphie (Friar) on Aug 18, 2001 at 03:04 UTC
    today i was listening to the who and lyle lovett ... i don't know if the code liked it but my brain did.
Re: What music do you listen too while Programming?
by RedDog (Pilgrim) on Aug 18, 2001 at 22:47 UTC
    I grew up in the 80's, so I listen to a lot of hair bands(Slaughter, Kiss, Winger, Dokken, Poison, etc.) I tend to listen to them while I pound away at the keyboard

    RedDog
Re: What music do you listen too while Programming?
by stefan k (Curate) on Aug 20, 2001 at 13:01 UTC
Re: What music do you listen too while Programming?
by hding (Chaplain) on Aug 21, 2001 at 01:48 UTC

    For the most part, I find that I listen to nothing, but when I do it's no different than what I'd listen to normally, namely some combination of jazz, bluegrass, and progressive rock.

Re: What music do you listen too while Programming?
by Jerry (Scribe) on Aug 19, 2001 at 19:33 UTC
    70's soul/funk, Occasionally disrupted by BF5 or the New Radicals ;)

    -Jerry
    http://www.digilliance.net

Re: What music do you listen too while Programming?
by regexes (Hermit) on Mar 29, 2007 at 15:17 UTC
    Hmmm... maybe I'm just strange. I never listen to music when I code. I find it annoying... <shrugs>

    regexes

    Cave ab homine unius libri
Re: What music do you listen too while Programming?
by syphilis (Archbishop) on Mar 29, 2007 at 13:18 UTC
    Excellent question. I can't believe it's not already a poll question !!

    I only ever listen to excellent music when programming ... Soft Machine, Gong, Zappa, Syd Barrett, Captain Beefheart, Dave Graney 'n' the Coral Snakes, Skunkhour.

    I guess the associated question is what drugs do Monks take while programming. (Can't wait for that one !! :-)

    Cheers,
    Rob

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