(Music) Just wondering?

I was just wondering who all here listens to music regularly while they do artwork? ... It's not something I do normally. I usually crank up the iPod anytime I'm cutting grass, remodeling the house, and even at work. (Actually use it there everyday) But hardly ever use it when doing artwork. Like now, I usually just put something on the TV (which I barely watch) but use it mainly for ambient noise and the occasional peek. - There are a few shows I like to watch in general for this, The Doctor Who series for instance which I have on now. Favorite movie for this is hands down Labyrinth! (for some reason I get a lot of inspiration whenever I have this on) but the one downfall to this is that I actually watch this one, more than just listen. I have all my movies digitally, so there's plenty to choose from.

But the other day when I came in from cutting grass, I still had the itch to listen to more music, and found it to be quite nice while sketching. So think I might be doing this some more in the future. (Though the wife doesn't care for it, since I can't hear anything she says when I have the earplugs in. Actually her favorite saying is 'I hate when you wear those things!'

But was just wondering if others here listen to music or not, or maybe have something else they like?

I mostly listen to music while doing art, genre dependent on what I'm working. If it's for paid work I listen to holiday music, instrumental or Hindi/Bollywood songs. Holiday carols I can sing along with absentmindedly, instrumental has no distracting lyrics and I don't understand Hindi so the lyrics have no meaning to me but I enjoy the energy of the music. Any music I listen to has to match the mood I'm working in too. Most of my paid work is designing stained or art glass windows to scale, so I'm constantly checking measurements and making calculations which is why I can't afford to be too distracted by song lyrics.

When it's personal art I often watch YouTube videos, listen to music or catch up on tv shows that I can't watch with kiddos around. I mostly only get to work when they are asleep or at school lol.

Pretty cool, Kynamh. Really like your comment about not understanding Hindi, but still liking the energy. Don't listen to much instrumental myself, and the wife does the Holiday music thing most of the winter time around the holidays, but can see where it might be soothing. ... Didn't mention it but I mostly listen to Rock, Alternative and the like. Faster beats I would guess.

Thanks

I suppose I consider dubstep and electronica under "instrumental" since a lot of that doesn't have lyrics but is certainly packed with energy which is good for working. I listen to a pretty broad range: Alternative, Rock, Pop, Indie, Celtic/New Age, World Music, Speed Metal. I'm as likely to listen to Dragonforce as I am to Sissel to Kenyan Boys Choir or Nirvana. It's all about mood lol.

Some of my consistent favorite artists to listen to while painting are: Vast, Florence and the Machine, Marina and the Diamonds, Apocalyptica, Subway to Sally, Linkin Park, Janelle Monae, Oh Land, Active Child and many many soundtracks (Sawariya, Life of Pi, The Fountain being among my favorites).

I love Spotify since I can create specific playlists. I actually have an Art playlist lol. Used to use Pandora a lot, but I like the control that Spotify offers. And sometimes I have a specific music craving and I can peruse Spotify's library, or worse case call up a YouTube music video. I do tend to use YouTube a lot. I like to watch other artists' videos while I work, or while I'm doing my warm up doodles.

I always listen to music when I'm painting. I listen to just about everything and my playlists are pretty nuts, I can go from Metallica to Snoop Dogg to Garth brooks in same playlist. I'm a 90's kid so I'm always listening to alternative rock from around that time. I don't care much for too much new stuff I don't really get the whole emo cry baby music or a lot of newer techno weird crap coming out....I like a few new bands here and there I really love Alabama Shakes, Mike Pinto, The Dirty heads, a band called Pasadena they got an old school Sublime sound and a few others. But I like mostly older stuff

I too use youtube alot. I quite often put on music when I paint. Some of my favourites are Muse, Goldfrapp (particularly their/her 'Seventh Tree' album, that just zones me out) and Pink Floyd, but I'll listen to loads of stuff. I play guitar too, so can sometimes get distracted with listening, but I find it helps to calm me.

On the odd occasion I'll put on the sound of the sea too and just float. Anyone else do that?

I listen to music when i'm painting fo sure. I heard some professional artists say it helps listening to music, helps you make some stellar art. but it gets me energetic and keeps me motivated ! I usually keep the Shazam app open on my iphone when I hear a cool tune, ill shazam that sucker and save it for download later, unfortunately I live around some people that love their dance/pop brittney "work bitch" stuff lol so my shazam is letting me down lately

I do a lot of my artwork at night - once the house is quiet and I can concentrate. But on those rare occasions I do put music on I really enjoy it.
I'm also a nineties child so like evil I listen to a lot of the rock/metal from then.
My choice usually depends if im working digitally or not, I like up tempo metal like Pantera, Metallicas early stuff and old Maiden if I work traditionally for the energy or something a little more rock based if I'm working digitally ie: Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam or Incubus.
Right now I've got 'As Much As You'd Asked For' on by Genziani's Jukebox' off of 'Botany Bay' which is a local band (to Derbyshire) with a friend I used to work with on bass. Check it out online if you like rock/alternative.

I love working to music, but often forget to turn it on.
When I remember, I've got a few favorite Pandora playlists (and Pandora on Firefox with AdBlock = no ads!)
I've got a station of prog rock -- featuring Muse, The Black Keys, The White Stripes, Jet, The Strokes, etc. -- that I play when I want a mix of hard-driving and epic.
For an upbeat groove, it's my Toots & The Maytals station, featuring Toots, Bob Marley, Desmond Decker, and a bunch of classic ska & reggae, with some Eighties ska revival thrown in (Madness, English Beat, etc.)
For a mellower mood, it's Fats Waller radio, featuring Fats, Louis Armstrong, Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton, and a slew of Harlem Stride and swing jazz artists.