How many of you actually "listen" to music anymore?

[Brewdude]

So how many of you actually sit down and listen to music these days? As in making the music the focus rather than a background for other activities?

Is music more something that you have on when you're driving and have to focus on conversations with your passengers/kids/cell phone, while walking/jogging/working out on an ipod or some such device, while engaged in household activities, and so on?

And while I'm on the subject, how many of you have a decent home stereo system? I'm not asking what the components are, just that you might have one.

I ask since it's become apparent that younger folks these days do not necessarily consider music to be as important to them as they once were when I was coming up.

So how many of you make the music the primary focus in your daily lives, and about how often do you do it?

Genuinely interested in your responses guys.


Cheers,

RR

 

[eklektos44]

Yamaha RX-360 Receiver pushing Polk Monitor 70 towers and Sony SCD-CE595 SACD player. I'm an album listener.

 

[MisterE]

Every single day. Either playing it or listening to it. I've never been able to concentrate on other things with background music. It's too distracting, lol.

 

[RDPipes]

I still love music but, it seems I never find the right time to sit down and really enjoy it much anymore.
Maybe if I piped it outside to the porch I could relax with my pipe and listen to some good ole Hank or annoy the neighbors with bagpipe music.
I'll have to put that on my list for sure.

 

[eklektos44]

I still love music but, it seems I never find the right time to sit down and really enjoy it much anymore.
Maybe if I piped it outside to the porch I could relax with my pipe and listen to some good ole Hank or annoy the neighbors with bagpipe music.
I'll have to put that on my list for sure.

Maybe your neighbors would like bagpipe music, I do. I listen to "Thistle and Shamrock" Sometimes. 8)

 

[Dutch]

My MP3 player has over 1350 commercial free albums and counting.

The music isn't just playing in the background. The music is playing, while I drive or weld in the background, which makes funding possible for more music purchases.

Yes, it's true that I buy it all. If I were going to steal my music, I'd just steal everything else too.

Most of the time, when I'm not working and listening to music, you can either find me sleeping, managing my music collection, or doing a search for lyrics I can't clearly hear or comprehend.

 

[RDPipes]

I still love music but, it seems I never find the right time to sit down and really enjoy it much anymore.
Maybe if I piped it outside to the porch I could relax with my pipe and listen to some good ole Hank or annoy the neighbors with bagpipe music.
I'll have to put that on my list for sure.

Maybe your neighbors would like bagpipe music, I do. I listen to "Thistle and Shamrock" Sometimes. 8)

I like more of the traditional Scottish bagpipe music myself.
Sounds like you have a nice system there too, I have an older 70's Pioneer system. Tuner, turntable, reverb, 8track recorder/player and a bit newer cassette recorder/player and a Teac reel to reel including 6 Pioneer cabinet speakers. Puts out around 100 watts per channel that'll rattle anyone's windows. Even got Pioneer equipment in the P/U, or course a lot newer.

 

[eklektos44]

I like more of the traditional Scottish bagpipe music myself.
Sounds like you have a nice system there too, I have an older 70's Pioneer system. Tuner, turntable, reverb, 8track recorder/player and a bit newer cassette recorder/player and a Teac reel to reel including 6 Pioneer cabinet speakers. Puts out around 100 watts per channel that'll rattle anyone's windows. Even got Pioneer equipment in the P/U, or course a lot newer.

Well, the receiver is just a stopgap, I have a Yamaha M40 waiting a recap, then I have to build a tv stand/cabinet to hold the system. I have a rule, old amps and new speakers. When the amp is recapped it'll be matched with a C50 control amp, T50 tuner, Nakamichi BX-100 cassette deck and a Technics SL-1200 turntable. I love old stereo systems. Pioneer made excellent equipment also. The ideal would be a Sansui BA-3000, but that's just way too expensive. I used to have a Sansui 7900z receiver that I bought overseas, but it blew a channel and just wasn't worth fixing.

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

I still "listen" to music. A little every day, and even more on the weekends. I have gotten back into symphonic and chamber music which I listen to when I smoke a pipe, but I mostly listen to a wide variety of rock-n-roll artists at work, headphones on. My job allows for that.

Decent home stereo system? Yes, but I am no audiophile. Although I do have a beautiful set of early 60's JBL's that are the cat's meow. Receiver? Standard Harmon Kardon, nothing fancy.

 

[Richard Burley]

I listen. Melodic orchestral pieces transport me. I don't really like music used merely as background filler, but I can see where some people might need it to keep the voices in their heads at bay.

 

[Puff Daddy]

Are you saying my ipod full of Justin Bieber songs isn't legit bro? :suspect:

 

[smg913]

I love music! It plays a huge role in my life. I have Sonos through out my house. I wake up every moring, sit down with a cup of coffe and listen to music before I go to work. I play the guitar and can only hope my daughter grows up with a love for music.

 

[eklektos44]

I still "listen" to music. A little every day, and even more on the weekends. I have gotten back into symphonic and chamber music which I listen to when I smoke a pipe, but I mostly listen to a wide variety of rock-n-roll artists at work, headphones on. My job allows for that.

Decent home stereo system? Yes, but I am no audiophile. Although I do have a beautiful set of early 60's JBL's that are the cat's meow. Receiver? Standard Harmon Kardon, nothing fancy.

What Composers do you enjoy? Any particular conductors you like? Artist?

 

[eklektos44]

Are you saying my ipod full of Justin Bieber songs isn't legit bro? :suspect:

No facial hair and Justin Bieber? I didn't know you were a 12 yro girl.... :joker:

Sorry Bro, but you walked into that..

 

[DireWolf]

I ask since it's become apparent that younger folks these days do not necessarily consider music to be as important to them as they once were when I was coming up.

Strange too, considering that people are walking around like damn zombies with iPod's plugged into their heads all the time.

To your question - not enough.

 

[Stick]

Great question Rande.

About 15 years ago I bought a pair of Mission M3s that were to be driven by my Marantz head unit. Not only did these speakers look impressive - sentinel tall monoliths in my lounge - they sounded beyond my expectation. Despite trialling them in a listening room prior to buying, when I got them home they blew me away. They completely transformed how I engaged in my music. Previously it was background music as I tinkered around the house, but after I wired these in they demanded that I stop and absorb myself in whole albums. I heard sounds that I'd not heard before. They moved me.

I'm currently hankering after a better head unit, separates probably, as although it is good the Marantz lacks the punch to showcase the speakers to their best. Just can't justify the expense though at this moment in time....

 

[RobJ]

I listen to music a lot but usually I'm mixing tracks for an original project, so that's kind of like work since it's all critical listening and ultimately stress inducing. I also write and perform music but again that's not necessarily low stress and I work on those a few nights a week.

For pleasure once in a blue moon I'll actually sit down and just listen to anything from classical to old Motown to progressive rock for a few hours on my old Marantz and JBLs.

 

[Brewdude]

Interesting and encouraging responses guys. Keep them coming. I'm pleasantly surprised there are still those out there who take music seriously enough to make it the center of attention.

Also interesting to hear how many are Marantz devotees. My previous setup consisted of a Marantz tuner/receiver and I loved it. Sadly I let it go for pennies on the dollar during a black period in my life. But I do have my last upgrade, which is still serving me well.

Part of my OP has to do with a very large musical project I have in the works at the present. And it's very much the kind of thing that the listener needs to start at the beginning and work their way forward, since there's a storyline and theme that unfolds during the journey. Absolutely my most ambitious adventure to date but it's really taking shape and I'm pretty jazzed about it.

I see it as being akin to watching a movie - one starts at the beginning and watches it through until the end. Just picking random scenes to view would not at all help the viewer understand what's really going on. And in the same way, this work also is intended to be much the same.

With the trend going in the direction of digital downloads where one can listen to a 30 second clip of a song in order to determine if it's worth buying, it naturally makes me a bit nervous about releasing something of this nature. Including and especially since while the individual songs are going to be worth having on their own merits (or at least I believe they are) they will not be sufficient to understand the story and scope of the project.

Apologies if I seem to be talking (or typing) in riddles but I'm not yet ready to reveal the project since there's much to be done and I have no firm idea when it will be ready. Yet I see it as months rather than many months. We'll see.

In the meantime please keep the responses coming in. I appreciate it.


Cheers,

RR

 

[bosun1]

Hardly at all. Don't even turn the radio on in my car. If I'm sitting here at the computer doing something that doesn't require thought/reading/typing I'll be playing MP3's of Old Time Radio or modern web offerings. Once a month I try to fire up the stereo to keep the caps in good shape (Yamaha CR-1020 receiver), exercise belts (phono, R to R, cassette), exercise switches and blow the spiders out of my speakers.

 

[riff raff]

Life without music isn't worth living!

When we built our patio, which is where we spent the majority of our at-home hours, the contractor asked if we wanted TV wiring. Nope, just run the speaker wires. I have Polk outdoor speakers there and by the pool. They are on when we are home, ask the neighbors... Another set of Polks in the garage, which is my smoke area/auto/pipe restoration area. If I'm there, the system is on (Sony receiver out there).

Nothing exotic in the equipment category, a decent Sony receiver and Yamaha CD player. I'll go to a digital receiver when this one gives out. I did purchase a great set of BIC tower speakers for the family room and we really enjoy them. (Boston Accoustics system for the TV)