It’s second nature for us to either have a jazz station tuned in or to be playing music from our library when we don’t like what’s on the radio. I’m always surprised when I go to people’s houses where it’s just dead silence all the time. Or worse, the TV is left on, which I just find to be rude. In the car, I tune to a variety of rock stations.
I grew up listening to the radio and playing records. My mother liked all the latest stuff and liked to dance. My stepfather, who was a bartender and had to listen to airport music all day, hated it. He never sang, whistled or hummed. In the car, my mother, sister and I always sang the same songs. Stations in the 50s/60s weren’t geared to a particular genre as much as today, so I had a lot of exposure to older crooners/lounge singers, country songs, and the burgeoning rock & roll scene.
My kids were exposed to all manner of music as they grew up, although it was heavily tilted to the rock and pop genres. Whenever the TV wasn’t on, music was playing. I’m happy to note that they have something playing most of the time when I visit.
So is music a big part of your everyday? Or are you one of those who likes it to be quiet in the house (and may I ask why)?
Sometimes music. I listen to a wide variety, though classical music gets on my nerves (I hate to admit; makes me sound like a philistine. My mom tried, honest!). I lean toward 70s, 80s, and 90s pop and rock; 80s and 90s alt/college rock, old goth, new wave, punk. Some 90s-00’s country (when an awful lot of it sounded like the Eagles). Occasionally jazz – I like it but don’t own much.
Sometimes I do leave the TV on, but if so it’s for other voices (I live by myself), and it’s something I can dip in and out of paying attention to (Law & Order marathons are a favorite).
If I have a migraine, it’s silence and I may well be wearing earplugs so I don’t have to hear the cats stomping around.
ETA: my mom listened to jazz, classical, and pop/rock. I remember her singing along to Steely Dan on the radio while in the kitchen. Still makes me smile to think about that. I don’t remember my dad listening to music when I was very young, but he worked full time and was going to college. But in the late 70s-early 80s he listened to country. Now he likes 50s and 60s music. I got him one of those public radio compilations of doo-wop.
ETA again: do you think public tv stations will sell sets of New Wave compilations when Gen X’ers are in their 50s, 60s, and 70s?
Music on all the time, if at all possible. If I’m moving around the house doing things, I might have two different players going (say, my iphone on one bluetooth speaker in my library and my computer playing music in the den).
I used to wear my earbuds (Jaybird Bluebuds X or Shure SE425) a lot, but since I got my JBL Micro, I just wear a small speaker around my neck. I like it better because I can still hear stuff around me but I get to listen to my music quietly (when loudly isn’t appropriate).
Like you, Chefguy, I dislike TVs that are on all the time; I have a number of friends that live that way and find that the visual input distracts and detracts from our conversations.
I work from home and I almost always have it silent during the day. If I listen to music I can’t read very well. I also like to be able to hear what the dogs are getting up to in the other rooms.
When I am cleaning or in the shower or in the car I have music on. And sometimes during the work day too.
My folks had music on all the time when I was a kid.
My house usually has a TV on. I’m not really into music these days, but I’m interested in what’s going on in the world. I often have one of the cable news channels on for background noise.
If my family is over visiting, there is just conversation, or occasionally the TV. If friends are over for a party, I’ll have the TV on, tuned to a music station.
TV as background noise is simply ghastly. The so-called “news” is worse than even an infomercial station. And they’re utterly awful.
I have lots of recorded music, but rarely play any of it. If I’m home I’m either working, reading, or (rarely) actively watching TV. Music with singing interferes a bit with all those things. And I don’t really have my collection segregated to be able to set up playing just instrumentals. So music has slowly become sort of out-of-sight-out-of-mind for me. I could play it, but rarely think of it.
I sometimes play a CD in the car. Rarely listen to radio as I cannot abide commercials or talking of any kind. If I’m driving with anyone I’d much rather talk with them against a silent background than have to talk over the music.
And I’d happily strangle the various musicians who play in bars & restaurants and don’t understand they’re supposed to be a background to customers’ conversations, not an obstacle to them.
My wife is an acoustic musician and when she’s playing at home that’s wonderful. The rest, not so much.
We’re usually quiet. We do have Sonos set up throughout the house, and I’d say it’s on two or three hours per week. Usually playing pandora. TV, for me, is only on when I’m watching something. (I like TV, iI’m just against using it as background. I find it horribly distracting. )
I have over a thousand CDs ripped to my computer. (I own all of them.) I also have youtube playing music even as we speak (Tchaikovsky) and let it select classical for me one after another most of my waking hours.
Never have music playing and rarely watch TV. I wouldn’t have one period if it wasn’t for the wife, waste of time and money to me. I have a cell phone that can play music but usually the thought of it seems rather bothersome to find something I like and carry around earphones that fall out and the very idea alone is as far as I get to listening to music at home.
I have a nice JL audio system in my car but usually end up listening to talk radio. My collection of 80’s/90’s music is a bit tiresome.
My wife and I are opposites; if the television broke I probably wouldn’t notice for several days but if just one radio or CD player so much as hiccups I have a spare out of the closet. My wife is more a TV person; even her clock radio is tuned to a talk station.
Too much of a story to bore you with, but, bottom line, sometimes I like it dead quiet and others it has to be music. TV sounds from the other room dictate whether I try to drown them out or not.
These days I’m into Spotify and Pandora big time. YouTube playlist when I want to be more specific.
Sadly, my old reliable FM station that had been 100% Good Jazz, now has a mixed format with too much Classical mixed in during the day and I rarely listen at night to that station, so it’s no radio for me now.
We have Sonos also. Great product, that. We only have the one unit, as this is a very small bungalow style house and the sound quality of the Sonos is such that we can hear it throughout. I especially love Sundays, as the local jazz station plays trad jazz, which I can only stand in very small doses. We have a lot of music from West Africa and other world music (Portuguese fado, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, etc.), so that’s usually Sunday’s program.
I can (sort of) understand having the TV on to keep kids entertained, although I think its overused as a baby sitter. My only objection to it is when someone invites you to dinner or some such, and can’t bring themselves to turn it off. Then, when you’re conversing, their eyes keep drifting to see what inanity is going on on the tube. I watch quite a bit of TV; if I want to watch something, I’ll stay home.
Zeldar: Try streaming KMHD in Portland, OR or the San Francisco jazz station. The SFO station plays a lot of West Coast jazz, while KMHD has a lot of different jazz programs.
YouTube on now,“Soft Spanish Guitar” on low… Aaand I have been listing to “Pixar movie soundtracks” “Windom Hill” and “Studio Gibli soundtracks” (spelling)
Thanks! I used to stream several out-of-town stations and really counted on Bob Parlocha at night. But lately the radio streaming has fallen by the wayside what with all the other options. Believe it or not, I haven’t put on an LP, CD, cassette or other sto-bought media in so long I can’t even remember it. It has to be off the computer now.
Excuse my busting in, but this reminds me of the electronics tech I used to work with at a stereo shop. I asked him what kind of music he liked and he replied, “I hate all music!” For a guy whose task it was to make stereo gear sound as best it could, I found this amusing at least!
