Study music?

[Ronne]

I'm having kind of an annoying problem with staying awake reading my chemistry and biology books this semester. I can't quite figure out why, but I just nod off before I even notice it. As such, I'm looking for some suggestions on music to help combat this annoying crap.

I've got a rather gigantic music library, but it's pretty much all old stuff that I have listened too 100 times and no longer really keeps me very interested.

What do you bums all listen to while reading about biomacromolecules and other such fun subjects? Be honest, I like almost all music, except salsa, which is lame.

[Eomer]

Funny, I was thinking of the same thing today basically. Except I was thinking about work music. Obviously that would depend a ton on what type of work you do. But the work I'm doing when I'm really trying to concentrate and get shit done is pretty similar to school work in a lot of senses; counting things, adding up various figures, drawing diagrams and schematics, punching data into a computer, etc.

I've always had a hard time maintaining concentration for that type of thing, for as long as I've had to do it. I never got tested for ADD or anything, and I'd be surprised if I had even a mild case, but it's often difficult for me to keep my mind focused on a single task. This was never a problem in gradeschool, since that's a joke. Engineering on the other hand kicked my ass quite handily by the time second year rolled around, cause I got so far behind and it just wasn't possible to derive all the formulas for a second year physics course from the highschool stuff that I had a good grasp on, but I digress...

So yeah, I find that I almost kind of use music to distract whatever part of my mind it is that wants to go check out what news is up at CBC or CNN, or sports scores, or forum threads. One part of my brain is busy doing the thinking and figuring, while the other part is listening to the music and singing along with it. Typically I like to listen to catchy stuff that I can sing along with (no Mars Volta at work), whether it's lighter or heavier type stuff. Obviously, precisely what you find catchy is really gonna differ from person to person.

When I'm working late and no one else is in the office, I can only imagine the kind of shit that a tape recorder would pick up. Cause not only do I sing along (terribly) with the music I'm playing, I also tend to babble and yammer away complete nonsense to keep my brain occupied. Mostly in strange, cheesey accents.

Maybe I have assburgers?

[Rezz]

Laugh if you must, but recently studying for me means I'm listening to viking metal + Muse/Kenna. I know, interesting crossover there, but the diversity from track to track on random somehow lets me concentrate better on the work at hand. Maybe I have ADD and by confusing my brain with totally different musical styles I'm able to find my center, or some such nonsense. It just really puts me into the mood to read over Java and subnetting hah.

With work? Anything I can hum/sing along with, from the BeeGees to Slayer to Angels and Airwaves. Granted, I currently work with my hands pretty heavily (yay line cooking) so any sort of rhythm I can keep time to means my food maintains slightly better consistency on temperature/appearance.

My friends seem to swear by bands like 30 seconds to Mars (I enjoy em, but it's distracting) or complete ambience like mogwai or various jack horner tracks. Sorta depends on if you require a rhythm, abstraction or heavy riffs to stay focused I would think. Or maybe even a combination of them.

For the record, following Knights of Cydonia with Wooden Pints then Hellbent = complete enlightenment.

[ValkyrieIsAboutToDie]

di.fm chillout channel.

24/7

Anytime Cardamar or Kettel comes on, the words just melt off the pages and into my brain.


Give it a try. Shit works for me, but it'll probably put everyone else to sleep.

[Ronne]

That works rather well for me too. I've been listening to Eternal Light by Microwave prince on repeat all night for like the past two weeks of studying and I swear it helps me focus. It's probably my favorite song ever, but even being my favorite I can't listen to it forever and ever. I'll have to rip a few hours from some different DI channels and see if I can't find some similar stuff.

[Ham n Cheese]

Something with beats is good for working. Ratatat, The Knife, Starsailor, Royksopp, NIN, etc. I also found Of Montreal really good for work actually.

For studying I would go with Mogwai, Album Leaf, EitS, Rachel's and The Radio Dept.

[Zarniwoop]

Bill Evans: Sunday at the Village Vanguard

Add other mellow jazz as necessary. It worked for me.

[brekk]

Bob Marley - Legend

[Hardcore Cracka]

I simply cannot listen to music with words while I'm studying. I am completely distracted by the singing and lose my place in my reading, computing, etc.

[VelMonk]

I'm the exact same. I need silence. Ironically, it's the same for sleeping (duh), but to a degree far removed from the average person. It needs to be really dark and really quiet except for possibly a fan, to a fault. Otherwise I simply don't sleep even close to well.

[dak]

Classical music, duh. Maybe Napalm Death.

[Rezz]

The Silence is Deafening = good physics studying music.

[Rathgar]

I too prefer instrumentals. It's rare, but occasionally I'll get sidetracked by the vocals in a song, especially if I know them by heart. I'll end up mouthing them out and before long I have no idea what the fuck I just read.

[Sidhe]

Mogwai.

While an album like Rock Action might put you to sleep(not in a bad way...except when studying), something like Come On Die Young or Young Team is powerful instrumental "study music" that goes and goes. You may find yourself pausing from your studies every once in awhile to bask in the glory, but that's okay. It's worth it.