How much is too much?

[Kullervo]

Every once in a while I feel completely burnt out. On music, that is. Sometimes I'm just overwhelmed with new CDs and feel that I'm going through them too quickly. I try to limit myself to only listening to a few pieces a day, but I just can't. It's a mania, and I hate it. I feel like it makes music less important, less special... but I can't help it. I guess it has to do with my current financial situation -- I have no money and therefore can't afford to be jetting off to wherever.

So, everyone else, how much is too much?





Oh, and those of you who just rip through 50 CDs a day need not answer at all.

[Choo Choo]

For me, music is special.  That means - by definition - it is not an every day experience.  It is a celebration - or it is nothing.  I do not understand how people can play music all day every day.  For me this would destroy the significance of music.

Harry started an interesting thread on this subject a while ago.  I noticed then that I was the only person who thought like this.  So I accept it is a minority view.

[beclemund]

Music is its own reward, I find it hard to get burned out. I will admit, there are many times where I just passively listen and fewer times where I sit transfixed, repeatedly rewinding, trying to figure out what a composer is trying to say or what an interpreter intends to do. My musical education is rather limited and I was never good at solving metaphors, so often, my scrutiny is unsuccessful.  I do listen to music almost constantly though. There is enough variety from one composition to the next in my collection that I am never bored. I also listen to all varieties of music, but for the last several months, my habits have leaned towards classical genres.

I can imagine, with financial difficulties, there would be more pressing things on my mind than what to listen to next, however. I am sorry to hear about your trouble and hope there is relief in sight.

[Kullervo]

For me, music is special.  That means - by definition - it is not an every day experience.  It is a celebration - or it is nothing.  I do not understand how people can play music all day every day.  For me this would destroy the significance of music.

Harry started an interesting thread on this subject a while ago.  I noticed then that I was the only person who thought like this.  So I accept it is a minority view.

Glad I'm not the only one.

[Montpellier]

I get involved with music at the practical level and there are times when I've had enough.  I turn to a different genre rather than turn it off altogether.  I'm generally happy to have music in the background - Mozart is quite soothing - but usually opposite to what I'm trying to escape musically.  Some works, however, do seem to call for silent reflection afterwards, not that solitude is easy to come by these days! 

[Mozart]

I only consider it listening if I have a strong emotional response. The rest of the time its spent getting to know the works I listen to.

[Don]

For myself, there is never too much of classical music.  I can easily listen to just Bach for days on end, or a few favored composers for many days, or composers new to me for a number of days, or any other type of combinations.

Does the above reduce the special nature of the listening experience?  I suppose it does, but I gladly live with the trade-offs.

[Mark]

I used to ' ... rip through 50 CDs a day ... ' (well, more like eight, but you get my point), though these days I don't have as much opportunity to do so. Much of my time now is invested in my business - building relationships, winning work, chasing unpaid invoices - and preparing for the arrival of our daughter. I'm lucky now if I can hear four CDs a day; quite often, it's only two. How does this make me feel? Anxious to hear more, that's how. Since the age of 13, music of one kind or another has played a significant part in my life. It's helped me through difficult times, been the soundtrack to ordinary and exciting times, and generally keeps me in touch with everything creative, beautiful, spiritual and valuable. Would I feel burned out if music were all I had to fill my days? No. But only because, as Don points out, there's so much variety. A change is very often as good as a rest.

[Don]

A change is very often as good as a rest.

So true - great sentence.

[Grazioso]

For me, music is special.  That means - by definition - it is not an every day experience.  It is a celebration - or it is nothing.  I do not understand how people can play music all day every day.  For me this would destroy the significance of music.

Harry started an interesting thread on this subject a while ago.  I noticed then that I was the only person who thought like this.  So I accept it is a minority view.

I'm part of that minority, then: overexposure to anything can lead to satiety if not disgust, and with art, it can certainly start to turn something special into something commonplace, robbing it of its magic. And art at its best is something magical, appealing to our noblest sensibilities, washing off the dust of the world--and even helping lead us toward the spiritual.

I actually relish the times when I don't feel like listening to any music for a day, a week, or whatever, because I know that when I return to it, it will be out of a genuine desire to listen to something particular with full emotional and intellectual attention, and not just the routine indulgence of a habit. Likewise, when I'm concentrating on really experiencing the music I have instead of thinking about what disc I'm going to buy next, I get so much more from it. Then it becomes true appreciation instead of mere consumerism wrapped in fancy dress.

[Bogey]

A change is very often as good as a rest.

So true - great sentence.

And this is why I will turn to "sreaks" of jazz listening from time to to time (sometimes soundtracks or rock as well).  My listening day varies based on what my work schedule is, what we are doing as a family, is my my wife listening with me, did my 4 year-old request Coltrane for the car ride, etc.  Sometimes my listening is very focused, other times it is music in the background.  In short, it just "depends" and I do not stress about it, but rather enjoy the fact that I am fortunate enough to be able to listen to music almost anytime I want, have a very nice selection to choose from, and some wonderful people here to discuss it with.

[Sergeant Rock]

Since I'm retired and alone in the house while Mrs. Rock is at the office, I could listen to music all day. But I don't. In fact I actually dislike music before noon and seldom listen to anything until after lunch. I've never owned a portable music player (no Walkman, no iPod). When I go for a walk I want to hear the sounds around me, the sounds of nature, kids playing, ect., not music. When I put a CD in the player or an LP on the turntable, it's because I want to actively listen to it. I don't need or want background music.

Sarge

[Bogey]

I don't need or want background music.

Sarge

I do not prefer this when I am outside, for the most part, either Sarge.  However, when I am working on a model, getting paperwork done, or painting a room, etc., then I find it very pleasant.  About the only exception is on my early morning runs, especially in the winter when the only sound is crunching feet and blowing wind. 

[Sergeant Rock]

I do not prefer this when I am outside, for the most part, either Sarge.  However, when I am working on a model, getting paperwork done, or painting a room, etc., then I find it very pleasant.  About the only exception is on my early morning runs, especially in the winter when the only sound is crunching feet and blowing wind. 

Yes, the exception for me is when I'm doing something that doesn't take a lot of mental effort. I'll listen to music in the kitchen when I'm preparing a meal, cooking, when I'm cleaning up. In those circumstances I'm listening quite closely to the music, though, so I'm not sure I'd call it background music.

Sarge

[Tancata]

I'm part of the generation you see sitting on the bus bopping along to their white earphones with the volume turned way too high.

I used to find a portable mp3 player indispensable, listening to music during all my "downtime" (getting from A to B, etc, or on walks). But as classical music came to dominate my listening program, my behavior changed quite a lot. The main reasons:

- the changes in volume during a piece of classical music make listening on the go and actually HEARING the music properly frustratingly difficult;

- classical generally is not as enjoyable as genres of pop if you're not actively listening to it. (I also get a vague feeling of self-loathing if some masterwork is playing in the background and I'm not giving it the attention it deserves  )

At the moment I generally listen for less time but spend all that time really listening and I enjoy things more. It was surprising when I started just sitting down to listen how out-of-training I was for it. Sitting at home I still find it hard to give music my full attention for more than 2 hours at a time (to compare, I could read a good book for 4 or 5 times as long, watch a good movie for longer without breaking a sweat). But I get so much more out of proper listening sessions of a couple of hours than whole days of passive, background listening.

I'm not one of these "I fear for Western Culture" types, but I do think that the way many people listen to music now - passively, for long periods of time - has definitely changed our relationship with music. Certain genres do very well out of this relationship, others not so well. But maybe it's always been this way - I dunno, I've never seen anything different. Some of my friends (including musical ones) never "just listen" to music.

Edit: I do still listen to music when I am cooking, and I love that. But as Sarge says, I can still give almost all my attention to the music while doing that so it doesn't really count.

[Mark]

On the subject of giving music one's fullest attention, this varies for me. Albinoni's Oboe Concerti are, for me, light listening - much as, I'm sure, a bit of pop or rock might constitute light listening for the next classical music fan. Who knows? I don't feel I'm doing old Albi a disservice by not tuning in with rapt focus and studiously following every note. I know only that I enjoy what I hear of works like his, even when I don't 'hear' everything.

But when it comes to pieces by Mahler, Bruckner, Beethoven, Rachmaninov and countless others - and generally, in my case, late Romantic or early Modern works - there's no hope of me treating such compositions simply as aural wallpaper. Who here can concentrate on the washing up or writing an email when the first two bold chords of the 'Eroica' symphony come slamming through the speakers or headphones?

I think my predilection for headphone listening means I listen less passively, as a rule, than many people might. With cans atop my bonce and straddling my ears, I'm in the concert hall - I'm in 'the zone'. Albinoni rarely makes it to headphone listening with me: he comes out through the speakers, makes his contribution to my legendary vegetarian spaghetti bolognese by inspiring me to add just another dollop of pesto; but he, and many other composers whose names I won't list, isn't likely any time soon to have me sitting on the edge of my seat, heart pounding, mind and emotions waiting for that next note, phrase ... or even silence.

[greg]

So, everyone else, how much is too much?

probably no more than 3 hours a day listening to music, and you can say "Es ist genug".
it's good to make sure you're doing a bunch of other stuff all the time, but have just enough time to listen to music each day, if you want. So just find other stuff to do, i guess.

[orbital]

Every once in a while I feel completely burnt out. On music, that is. Sometimes I'm just overwhelmed with new CDs and feel that I'm going through them too quickly. I try to limit myself to only listening to a few pieces a day, but I just can't. It's a mania, and I hate it. I feel like it makes music less important, less special... but I can't help it. I guess it has to do with my current financial situation -- I have no money and therefore can't afford to be jetting off to wherever.

So, everyone else, how much is too much?

Being burnt out by music is quite a distant idea for me. With some pieces perhaps, but with music.. I don't think this is remotely possible. Even when I am not listening to anything I always have some music in my head, or I am humming something, if not music a rhythm, something. This may be because I do not take music seriously. It is a big source og enjoyment for me, but I can't be passionate about music (nor anything else).
I think that when you don't take something seriously you appreciate it for what it is. It's not the CD's, not the collection, and at times sometimes not even the performer.
Music enriches life in such a way that, without it I am quite poor, yet if I have to go without music for a ahile that's OK too.

[marvinbrown]

Every once in a while I feel completely burnt out. On music, that is. Sometimes I'm just overwhelmed with new CDs and feel that I'm going through them too quickly. I try to limit myself to only listening to a few pieces a day, but I just can't. It's a mania, and I hate it. I feel like it makes music less important, less special... but I can't help it. I guess it has to do with my current financial situation -- I have no money and therefore can't afford to be jetting off to wherever.

So, everyone else, how much is too much?


  How much is too much?  Well for me too much is reached when I just can not concentrate on the music anymore and I reach a point where all I hear is noise. Thats when I stop.    It also depends on what I am listening to.  If its an opera I can go up to 5 hours no problem (enough time to cover one of Wagner's operas or 2 Verdi operas or 2 Mozart operas). With solo piano work, say Beethoven's sonatas or Liszt's compositions the maximum I can go is 2 hours.  It does not make sense I know but that's how it is. Different tolerance durations for different types of music.

  marvin   


Oh, and those of you who just rip through 50 CDs a day need not answer at all.

[Kullervo]

This may be because I do not take music seriously.

This is where you and I differ.