It amazes me when I see co-workers sitting at their desks, typing away, with earbuds in. Doesn’t the music distract them from their work?
Or vice versa — doesn’t doing something else detract from the listening experience?
I usually can’t help but give music my full attention. Except for the most ambient music, I find I can’t concentrate on any other task (say, blog writing) if there’s music playing. As such I do most of my listening at times of relatively low CPU usage, so to speak, like when I’m driving or folding laundry.
But seldom do I listen to music to the exclusion of all other activity. That is, I don’t just sit in a chair and let a record play. My mind starts wandering. I need to be fidgeting with something or avoiding potholes. (Live music is different: You can watch the band, you can watch the crowd.)
Long ago I had a friend who would put on the TV, cue up a record and open a book. He also did a lot of Ritalin. His is an extreme case, but I’m interested in how far others are able to divide their attention when music is involved. Is being able to listen while doing other things an innate ability, or a habit that can be cultivated (or broken)?
If I’ve held your attention this far, tell me how it works for you.
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