music and reading
 

What do you like to listen to, if anything, while reading?

Mingus and Tom Waits usually works for me. If the book doesn't work with those, then I don't usually listen to anything else.

With poetry though I will listen to some Scott Tuma or Six Organs Of Admittance or similiar...

i have to put on instrumental music.

when i was 12 I read Robin Hood while listening to a cassette of Motley Crue's shout at the devil, constaly flipping the tape over and over and over. when I was 14, I re-read Robin Hood, with no music playing, but in my bhead, a constant streamof shout at the devil played, oh my it was WEIRD

I can't read while listening to music.

I can't read and listen to music at the same time. I guess instrumentals. My left/right brain can't handle lyrics and words.

But sometimes when I'm high, I'll play a song I've never heard and read something I've never read, and have them compete for attention.

James Joyce vs. Stevie Ray Vaughn was epic.

Lately I put on Supernumeri.
Great semi-background music with a twist.

jazz, I guess would be my first choice. After that, something instrumental or I'll be too distracted.

anything really as long as it's something i like!

Most say it has to be instrumental. I'm mostly like that, except, as I mentioned, I can listen to Tom Waits. His voice is very much an instrument as well, and lends enough towards the overall mood of the music that while reading, my mind can almost process it as instrumental.

i can only read if it's quiet!

instrumental, without a doubt. ambient or drone music, preferrably.

so slavo sits around listening to sunn while reading his porno huh? ;)

Hmm I often listen to music when I'm reading, and I can read while listening to pretty much anything actually.

When I read a book while listenning to a record in loop,the 2 become associated, so listenning to the record makes me relieve the book, and it takes years to disappear. So I avoid it.

I can only read in silence.

classic rob-style post. I love you man :)

no, it's mostly some Peter Wright-style drone combined with Terry Pratchet, whom I truly love.

anything works, if i really need to focus i can block out any sound. i can read while my brother is waatching tv right next to me, and i can read when someone is drilling a hole in the wall above me (both examples actually happened)

so i just listen to whaat i usually listen to.

I like to read with José González on and if not him something similar and calming.

Augustus Pablo

The Emperor of Dub

I rather read in silence. I wish I was in the beach with a good book right now.

i can only read in silence

Usually I prefer silence while reading; but I have experimented with Future Sound of London's Lifeforms and Bola's Soup -- both worked surprisingly well.

Usually anything will work. Recently I listened to Bathory's Hammerheart while reading Goodbye Twentieth Century.

nothing, off course.