good music to boost productivity?

[rei]

i find that i enjoy having music playing in the background while i work, and the right type of music even boosts not only how much i get done but also how quickly i do it and how well i perform the tasks involved.

but music with a lot of words is a distraction. classical music is great, but only when i am in a certain mood. i guess you could say i'm picky about the music i want playing in the background - something primarily instrumental but with a good beat, perhaps an electronic sound but not house techno either...

here's two examples of my favorite genre and group:
YouTube - Lebanese Blonde Thievery Corporation
YouTube - Thievery Corporation - 2001 Spliff Odyssey
(this group is probably best described as acid jazz or trip-hop. i highly recommend all of their work, though the most recent album has more lyrics it is also about social consciousness. check them out if you like.)

but i am now very much used to their songs, so i find myself drifting into autopilot when i use their songs as background music to work. this forum has a lot of members, so i thought i could get some really great suggestions if i asked about this here.

i'd appreciate any suggestions for mostly instrumental music to boost productivity, but i am even more interested in suggestions of music from that same genre (trip-hop or acid jazz), or something that's mostly instrumental but has a lot of bass without sounding like club music.

yes, i admit i am high-maintenance when it comes to music ...but if you have any ideas at all, please don't hesitate to share them based solely on my narrow parameters.

[FazK]

Well i don't know to much about music but when i work i like to listen to really fast trance music. It really gets your blood pumping. If you go online their are 100's of internet radio stations where you can listen to it for free.

[Michelle]

IM not so HO, music deserves to be appreciated, not used.

Rather take a break, devote your complete presence to a piece of music, let yourself be inspired by the deliciousness of it, and then continue on with your work.

That said, if you are determined to have something in the background try a mix of Ella Fitzgerland and Mozart (anything with strings or flute).

On the electronic side you could try Jean-Michel Jarre.

And of course Enya is nice ambient music as well.

[Beuford]

Go on youtube and type in "immediate music" and listen to some of those.

[Lauxa]

First, thanks for the tip, I need some music to boost my productivity and I'll check out your recommendation.

Second, try going to pandora.com and typing in Thievery Corporation and it will generate a station for you with similar music.

[toasterwater]

Originally Posted by Michelle

IM not so HO, music deserves to be appreciated, not used.

Rather take a break, devote your complete presence to a piece of music, let yourself be inspired by the deliciousness of it, and then continue on with your work.

Not to be sound combative... but I disagree whole heartedly. I use music in just the way you (OP) are describing and honestly, I wouldn't be able to accomplish half the stuff I do on a daily basis (with the same intensity anyway) if I didn't. Music seems to get my heart rate going (I listen to alot of fast paced rock music) ... It's like my stimulant of choice I suppose. Although I see where you're coming from not wanting distracting lyrics... I tend to be able to ignore them enough to focus on what I'm doing.

I'm sure I have some degree of ADD, but when I sit down and put on my headphones and crank up the volume all the way, I'm able to completely leave the outside world and just focus intensely on the reading or homework or whatever it happens to be I'm working on.

Hmm... it appears I didn't help you with the intent of this thread at all... so I guess to not be completely useless here, I'll second the notion to check out pandora. Also try last.fm. both of them will stream "similar" music to an artist of your choice.

Good Luck!

[HAGITLOVE]

WHAT A GREAT POST,
I LISTEN TO MUSIC ALL THE TIME,
WHEN I WORK, WHEN I DO MY PAINTINGS,
I HAVE MADE MYSELF A CD WITH SOME UPLIFTING SONGS, IT'S MY HAPPY LOVE CD, AND ITS GREAT, I LISTEN TO IT ALL THE TIME, ESPECIALLY WHILE I'M DRIVING.

MUSIC IS A GREAT THING.

I BELEIVE, AND MY LIFE IS A PROOF, THAT GOOD UPLIFTING MOTIVATION LOVING ENERGIZING MUSIC CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE TO THE BETTER, AND MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD AND HAPPY AND ALIVE.

ENJOY THE MUSIC

HAGITLOVE

[rei]

Originally Posted by toasterwater

Not to be sound combative... but I disagree whole heartedly. I use music in just the way you (OP) are describing and honestly, I wouldn't be able to accomplish half the stuff I do on a daily basis (with the same intensity anyway) if I didn't. Music seems to get my heart rate going (I listen to alot of fast paced rock music) ... It's like my stimulant of choice I suppose. Although I see where you're coming from not wanting distracting lyrics... I tend to be able to ignore them enough to focus on what I'm doing.

I'm sure I have some degree of ADD, but when I sit down and put on my headphones and crank up the volume all the way, I'm able to completely leave the outside world and just focus intensely on the reading or homework or whatever it happens to be I'm working on.

Hmm... it appears I didn't help you with the intent of this thread at all... so I guess to not be completely useless here, I'll second the notion to check out pandora. Also try last.fm. both of them will stream "similar" music to an artist of your choice.

Good Luck!

i agree toasterwater, about the difference the right music can make... the music i like playing in the background is also music i listen to with complete presence. living in the U.S. i am in a culture that heralds productivity, as evidenced by how many things we are expected to do in a single day. so if i can have something innocuous to boost my ability to get those things done, i appreciate that - but of course i have amazing appreciation for music as it is. after all, scientifically speaking our entire existence is a form of music (vibrations). so perhaps i actually agree with both you and Michelle, and i admit "use" was not the best word choice. i have respect for musicians and their craft, and i appreciate the opportunity to listen for fun or to help me focus. (toasterwater, i do have ADHD but medication is no longer an option i'm comfortable with. so i look to these types of natural options to help me focus.)