What do you listen when reading?

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

Yep. It's a problem. We did find a setting for the tv that helps a bit, but with some shows, the music drowns out the dialogue. I think it was the show Cake Boss that I stopped watching because of the background music. Competition shows are the worst.

My Sony home theater sound system has two features that help a little, but not enough for some shows. It has a Voice feature which enhances voice to make it clearer by lowering some of the background noise. And a Night feature which lowers the background noise even more. But some shows are so noisy both features combined don't help enough. Plus TV commercials have started turning up the sound level again, so that would be too distracting as well.

[fduniho]

It's usually instrumental music, such as classical, new age, or electronic. If the lyrics aren't too distracting, I sometimes listen to progressive rock or foreign language music while reading. While reading particular books that were made into movies, I have listened to the soundtracks to those movies. For example, while reading Dracula last year, I was listening to various soundtracks to Dracula and Nosferatu movies.

[Tarana]

If I play anything, it is usually classical music or movie background music.

[Thasaidon]

My favourite is the "sound of silence".

I read or listen to music not both at the same time. I find either the text distracts me from the music or vice versa.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Thasaidon

My favourite is the "sound of silence".

I read or listen to music not both at the same time. I find either the text distracts me from the music or vice versa.

I agree strongly.

[mlewis78]

I enjoy reading with music on (usually classical but sometimes jazz or pop) if I'm reading in the living room. However, I do most of my reading at night in bed. I read in silence there. My apartment building is an acoustical mess and my neighbors would hear it if I played music in the bedroom. i don't like to read in bed with headphones on.

[timebug]

I like to read in silence. Although I am a music lover, I like to immerse myself in the written word, completely!

[neil_swann80]

For me it's the sound of my enemies being crushed. And as they're driven before me hearing the lamentation of the women.

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by neil_swann80

For me it's the sound of my enemies being crushed. And as they're driven before me hearing the lamentation of the women.

This would be a good option for you. It's one of my go to listens when Mom has the TV and I'm trying to read.

[neil_swann80]

I'll give it a listen, thanks!

But despite my "Barbaric" comment, I can't actually listen to anything when I read.

Update: I've found listening to "white noise" combined with some active noise cancelling headphones helps when stuck reading in noisy areas. I quite like rain, woodland sounds or an industrial hum, played on a loop. I tend to try and pair the variant of white noise to the theme/genre.

[Tetsuo1981]

I listen to soundtrack music / scores when reading. I find if there's singing it puts me off what I'm reading!! Being a Nine Inch Nails fan I listen to a lot of soundtracks by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

[DNSB]

I'm not really bothered by ambient noise when reading. Perhaps the following quotes attributed to Genghis Khan might be useful to others?

“The greatest happiness is to scatter your enemy, to drive him before you, to see his cities reduced to ashes, to see those who love him shrouded in tears, and to gather into your bosom his wives and daughters.”

"The pleasure and joy of man lies in treading down the rebel and conquering the enemy, in tearing him up by the root, in taking from him all that he has."

"I am the Flail of God. If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon You." , said during his campaign in Persia.

"Conquering the world on horseback is easy; it is dismounting and governing that is hard."

[Thasaidon]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

Silence, I have nothing playing when I'm reading. If any music that has lyrics is playing, I can't shut it out. Even instrumental without the lyrics...I can't tune it out. When I read, it's a solo act.

I am exactly the same.