Music for Programming (2011) • Hacker News Board

Re: Music for Programming (2011)

#51

Post by travisjungroth » Thu, Dec 12, 2019, 3:50 PM UTC

coreyp_1 wrote: post #35

Am I the only person who can't listen to anything while coding? My attention goes straight to the music, and I can't concentrate on the task at hand! When I was in high school, my math teacher would play Mozart during tests, claiming it would help us. It would drive me crazy, and I doubt that my grades improved as a result of the distraction. For what it's worth, I have a BMus in Piano Performance. I love music... bu…

I’m guessing music transmits a lot more “information” to you than the average person. It’s hard to have something you love as a background.

I love scuba diving. If there was a monitor with rotating images of underwater scenes, I wouldn’t just think it was pretty. I’d be glued to it figuring out where they took the shot, wondering how deep they were and wishing I was there. I’m guessing something similar happens with you and music.

Re: Music for Programming (2011)

#52

Post by crikli » Thu, Dec 12, 2019, 3:50 PM UTC

Potato potahto. When I need to GSD it's thrash metal (Slayer, etc) or RATM.

Re: Music for Programming (2011)

#53

Post by jpincheira » Thu, Dec 12, 2019, 3:50 PM UTC

feiss wrote: post #32

favorites of mine: * monolake / momentum * Paul Kalkbrenner/ self

Paul Kalkbrenner is great! I met him in Toronto in a show and shook hands. Super down to earth guy. It's funny that I ended up living in Germany — he's from Berlin :)

Re: Music for Programming (2011)

#54

Post by tombert » Thu, Dec 12, 2019, 3:51 PM UTC

coreyp_1 wrote: post #35

Am I the only person who can't listen to anything while coding? My attention goes straight to the music, and I can't concentrate on the task at hand! When I was in high school, my math teacher would play Mozart during tests, claiming it would help us. It would drive me crazy, and I doubt that my grades improved as a result of the distraction. For what it's worth, I have a BMus in Piano Performance. I love music... bu…

You're not the only person; it's why I absolutely despise open offices. I have trouble getting things done with people talking, and "just putting on headphones" doesn't really work because I have trouble focusing on anything but the music.

The closest thing I'll do to address my particular problem is find audio of stuff like thunderstorms or waterfalls and more ambient stuff. Personally, I find that much easier to tune out.

Re: Music for Programming (2011)

#55

Post by ryeguy_24 » Thu, Dec 12, 2019, 3:52 PM UTC

This is great, nice job. I tend to like Dark Ambient for programming. Espeically Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (Social Network soundtrack) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yydZbVoCbn0&t=1016s

Re: Music for Programming (2011)

#56

Post by Thinkx220 » Thu, Dec 12, 2019, 3:52 PM UTC

coreyp_1 wrote: post #35

Am I the only person who can't listen to anything while coding? My attention goes straight to the music, and I can't concentrate on the task at hand! When I was in high school, my math teacher would play Mozart during tests, claiming it would help us. It would drive me crazy, and I doubt that my grades improved as a result of the distraction. For what it's worth, I have a BMus in Piano Performance. I love music... bu…

You're not the only one. I'm this way too. However, I can listen to music while doing system admin stuff but for anything else I need absolute silence.

Re: Music for Programming (2011)

#57

Post by geff82 » Thu, Dec 12, 2019, 3:52 PM UTC

That website brought me ambient music. I listen to that style about everytime I have to think deeply. It became like a ritual.

Re: Music for Programming (2011)

#58

Post by thirteenfingers » Thu, Dec 12, 2019, 3:54 PM UTC

coreyp_1 wrote: post #35

Am I the only person who can't listen to anything while coding? My attention goes straight to the music, and I can't concentrate on the task at hand! When I was in high school, my math teacher would play Mozart during tests, claiming it would help us. It would drive me crazy, and I doubt that my grades improved as a result of the distraction. For what it's worth, I have a BMus in Piano Performance. I love music... bu…

I'm a pianist with an active performing schedule and I'm the same way. I'll listen to music at work if I have relatively mindless tasks to get out of the way, but when it comes to actual coding or anything requiring careful thought, forget it. All music ends up being distracting, either because I really enjoy it or because I find it really annoying.

I'd be curious to know if there are any serious musicians here who can concentrate on writing code or any other similarly mentally-intensive task while listening to music.

Re: Music for Programming (2011)

#59

Post by inform880 » Thu, Dec 12, 2019, 3:55 PM UTC

tombert wrote: post #54

coreyp_1 wrote: post #35

Am I the only person who can't listen to anything while coding? My attention goes straight to the music, and I can't concentrate on the task at hand! When I was in high school, my math teacher would play Mozart during tests, claiming it would help us. It would drive me crazy, and I doubt that my grades improved as a result of the distraction. For what it's worth, I have a BMus in Piano Performance. I love music... bu…

You're not the only person; it's why I absolutely despise open offices. I have trouble getting things done with people talking, and "just putting on headphones" doesn't really work because I have trouble focusing on anything but the music. The closest thing I'll do to address my particular problem is find audio of stuff like thunderstorms or waterfalls and more ambient stuff. Personally, I find that much easier to tu…

I would invest in a pair of nice noise canceling headphones. They work wonders for me and are a must have in open offices.

Re: Music for Programming (2011)

#60

Post by MadWombat » Thu, Dec 12, 2019, 3:56 PM UTC

coreyp_1 wrote: post #35

Am I the only person who can't listen to anything while coding? My attention goes straight to the music, and I can't concentrate on the task at hand! When I was in high school, my math teacher would play Mozart during tests, claiming it would help us. It would drive me crazy, and I doubt that my grades improved as a result of the distraction. For what it's worth, I have a BMus in Piano Performance. I love music... bu…

You are not alone. I went to a music school majoring violin for eight years. Not quite the same as having a BMus in US, but a long way in the same direction.

Music is never a background to me. I will occasionally switch music on while working, but with the specific purpose to switch my mind. Usually either when I am trying to work out the best solution to some problem and I need to get away from it for a second or when I am task switching.