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Author Topic: Music to read by  (Read 5954 times)

Junior

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Music to read by
« on: April 10, 2016, 05:35:29 PM »
I've been doing a lot of reading and writing in the past year thanks to grad school, and I find it helps to be listening to music while doing so. But it can't have words! I've made a Google music playlist that's 2000 songs long full of movie scores (mostly) to listen to while reading and writing. But I want still more! So, here's your place to put music of any kind, not just movie scores (though those are welcome, too) that might be good for reading to. Like I said before, the only qualification is that there should be no words, or at least very very very few words.

Here's one of my faves for this particular use.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zysmTUKMbUI
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Jeff Schroeck

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Re: Music to read by
« Reply #1 on: April 10, 2016, 05:59:28 PM »
I don't know if you're already familiar with them, and I can't find the whole album in one video on Youtube, but I used to listen to Can's "Tago Mago" while writing. I wouldn't say anything silly like it put me into a trance, but it's steady rhythms are good for letting your brain get a little loose. It may help with reading in the same way - I never tried it though.

It violates the lyrics thing, but most of the album is instrumental, and when there are vocals it's mostly incomprehensible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5SyBIoMwsM

Junior

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Re: Music to read by
« Reply #2 on: April 10, 2016, 06:05:30 PM »
That's cool. I'll try 'em out.
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FifthCityMuse

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Re: Music to read by
« Reply #3 on: April 11, 2016, 07:50:53 AM »
I find some of this Spotify playlist good for this purpose:

https://open.spotify.com/user/127054489/playlist/33LkEWYi4Hd4SEp2NRFUDY

Nils Frahm is also pretty great for this purpose.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLNeZogTsK8


Corndog

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Re: Music to read by
« Reply #4 on: April 11, 2016, 03:14:57 PM »
I basically need absolute silence in order to read. Any other noise is just distracting to me.
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Sandy

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Re: Music to read by
« Reply #5 on: April 11, 2016, 03:33:47 PM »
I'm kind of the same way, but I don't usually have the luxury of silence. :) But yes, music is definitely a distraction to reading.

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Re: Music to read by
« Reply #6 on: April 11, 2016, 04:53:22 PM »
Since if the tv is on then there's generally music on in the background and since the definition of a good book for me is one I can read whatever the distraction, then I can have all three going at once. Distracting? Who knows. I don't think I miss much by reading in a madhouse.
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St. Martin the Bald

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Re: Music to read by
« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2016, 06:42:03 PM »
If you have Amazon Prime, there are some fabulous playlists designed for reading - strangely enough they are labeled as For Reading. 
They include a lot of movie scores and classical.

An album I really enjoy reading to is by a one-off group out of Chicago called Bed of Roses. The album is called The Kissing Tree and it is a joy to listen to or even enjoy (especially with headphones) on its own.
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oldkid

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Re: Music to read by
« Reply #8 on: April 12, 2016, 02:27:47 PM »
I create playlists to write to, and they have to be something that I don't focus on.  I can have lyrics, but they have to be well blended with the music so I don't pay attention to them.  I've been using certain Radiohead, Black Heart Procession and Red House Painters for this kind of thing. 

But I also use a lot of instrumentals.  Chopin is always a favorite. I avoid Mozart and Beethovan because they're always demanding my attention. But Vivaldi!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liTSRH4fix4&nohtml5=False


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mañana

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Re: Music to read by
« Reply #9 on: April 12, 2016, 10:34:31 PM »
I don't know if you're already familiar with them, and I can't find the whole album in one video on Youtube, but I used to listen to Can's "Tago Mago" while writing. I wouldn't say anything silly like it put me into a trance, but it's steady rhythms are good for letting your brain get a little loose. It may help with reading in the same way - I never tried it though.

It violates the lyrics thing, but most of the album is instrumental, and when there are vocals it's mostly incomprehensible.
Tago Mago is really good. Ege Bamyası too.
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