Do you listen to Music when you read?

I selected no because I really don't. I find that music with vocals can be distracting from what I'm reading and I have to read the same page over and over again. The only times I'll listen to music while reading is when I can find very peaceful and soothing music that isn't distracting but also won't make me sleepy.

 

I love music and listen to it from the time I get up and through the day as I'm working. By the time I finish work, I'm done listening to music. When I turn in, I like to curl up with a cheesy romance novel to send me off to sleep. But I prefer silence at this point because the idea is to nod off, not to get excited over my favourite songs.

 

I've learned that I absolutely cannot listen to music while I read! I usually get frustrated if the mood of the music doesn't match the mood of the scene or tone of the writing. Plus, it just ruins my focus. I find it difficult to multitask and take in two forms of entertainment at once.

However, I've discovered a wonderful alternative: ambient noise. If I want to feel like I'm in the book, I can enter the old castle, spooky forest, or wherever the story takes place by finding a soundscape online or even making my own! There are quite a few useful websites, such as ambient-mixer.com.

Or more recently, I will listen to the sounds of a cafe or restaurant. I can't really go to one because of covid, but at least I can pretend!