Re: GG: Bach & analytic/creative tasks

["Mark Williamson" <mwilliamson@alston.com>]

     Hmmm, that is a good question.  Like most of you, I like to 
     listen to Bach anywhere and everywhere.  And a lot of other 
     18th century music for that matter.  But it is certainly 
     true that one can be distracted from the task at hand; all 
     good music has that tendency to make you want to pay 
     attention to it and not to something else.  That's what 
     music is supposed to do (among other things).
     
     There are a few people in my office who listen to music 
     while they work.  I tend to work in dead silence because my 
     job is very hard and sometimes very boring, so I have to 
     concentrate.  But I listen to music on the way to work and 
     on the way home, and when I'm at home I'm usually either 
     listening to music or playing music.  Listening to music 
     goes very well with cooking, homebrewing, mathematics, and 
     bouncing the kiddies on the knee, which are my other 
     interests.
     
     Mark


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: GG: Bach & analytic/creative tasks
Author:  <tsolomon@whfreeman.com (Tim Solomon)> at internet
Date:    5/2/97 11:42 AM


     
Hello all, this is my first post, although I've been lurking for many months.
     
I find it interesting to hear that many of you (Catherine, Erich, Arin et al.) 
consider it beneficial to listen to Bach while performing analytical or creative
tasks that require concentration.  Personally, Bach (especially when performed 
by Gould) is the _last_ composer I want to listen to when thinking / reading / 
writing etc.  I find Bach's music so compelling and, well, mesmerizing I guess, 
that all of my other functions shut down and until the CD ends I find myself 
gazing stupidly at the stereo with a vacant look in my eye - incapable of study 
or conversation.  (I do find myself singing a lot though, and badly.)  When I 
want to be inspired, but still capable of rational thought, I go for Mahler's 
Resurrection, which, if I'm not mistaken, Gould also loved..... Hmmm.....
     
Just my two cents.  I really enjoy this friendly list.