Thread: Music AND coding

O_o

I can't speak to the "Four Seasons" one, but I'd wager both the others would be seen as clear copyright violations.

Soma

O_o

Two things:

1): I'm saying that many will have a problem with this little project if it entails an inducement to violate someone's Copyright even if you aren't directly responsible for hosting the files.

2): Under the "DMCA", "Youtube" in the United States is required to remove or otherwise block views on the request of the "owner".

For example, the second link is already blocked; I can't view it.

Soma

I can here this music and I want to share it, that's all.

O_o

I would suggest then that you just list music leaving people who use the list to find such material however they may please.

If however, there is a problem delete the thread

I would not even if I could.

I see your intent as obviously not to induce other to commit Copyright infringement.

My point is, other people may see the list differently than I.

Soma

When writing actual code, I prefer silence.

When thinking about a problem, looking for different ways to solve it, I like classical music.

However, I find very high notes, and especially soprano voices, extremely irritating, so I tend to avoid all radios and playlists.

Since I'm too lazy, too poor, and too law-abiding to construct my own classical music library and playlists with only non-irritating music, I rarely listen to anything.

(As to the copyright and law issues, I just want to say as someone who relies completely on copyright for his own work (and on copyright in particular, not "copyleft"), that current international copyright system is completely insane. It makes cooperative, societally beneficial behaviour illegal. Using law and international agreements to prop up a small sector of companies intertwined with the regulation and government, against the interests of the people in general, both end users and authors -- is a form of fascism. "Nationalism" is simply replaced with reverence to "ownership" or "owner" class. Note: Ownership, not authorship. If you think that as an author you are automatically the owner of your work, be prepared to be disappointed. Current system uses extreme measures to squeeze profits out of consumers, but the profits are considered to belong to the distributor and publisher, not the authors or artists. End rant.)

[Edit]

copyright in particular, not "copyleft"

The power of legal "copyleft" licenses directly depends on the power of Copyright.

Even if you used "copyleft" licenses, you'd still be relying completely on the power of Copyright.
[/Edit]

It makes cooperative, societally beneficial behaviour illegal.

[Rant]
>_<

And it is such a huge pain in the butt.

The memetic mutation of abstract content is almost always "fair use" even if the use is significant and isolated.

That current laws don't "understand" how background music is not even remotely relevant to a video of a cuddly kitten playing with a massive Rottweiler is absurd.

Yes, the music has been used in full. No, the music has not been transformed in any way.

Who cares? The point of the video, as pointless as it may be, is showing the cat and dog playing; the video is not being viewed by hundreds of thousands of people just so that they can listen to the music for free instead of paying for it.

The "one view == one lost sale" thing is just mindlessly idiotic.
[/Rant]

Soma

Originally Posted by phantomotap

Even if you used "copyleft" licenses, you'd still be relying completely on the power of Copyright.

Absolutely true. (I wanted to emphasize that while I do prefer GPL licensing and free software in general, it does not shape my opinion as an author and programmer; I do also proprietary work, and in all cases I do rely on Copyright laws and conventions. And I still find them fundamentally unfair and detrimental to society. I don't want to abolish Copyrights, I'd just want to fix the laws and conventions we have regarding it.)

---

Back to original topic, has anybody tried whether listening to different genres of background music affect their productivity or creativity? I wonder if different tasks -- like for me, writing code versus working on a programming problem -- require/benefit from listening to different types of background music?

(Also, do real graphics artists make those "boom!" "crash!" "splash!" sounds with their mouth, too, when drawing and creating explosions for games and shows and movies?)

Absolutely true.

O_o

I see; I fear I misunderstood that as thinking "copyleft" relied on a different area of law.

Back to original topic, has anybody tried whether listening to different genres of background music affect their productivity or creativity? I wonder if different tasks -- like for me, writing code versus working on a programming problem -- require/benefit from listening to different types of background music?

I have done tests on myself relevant to both questions.

Examples:

1): When programming, I can listen to just about anything; so long as it keeps me distracted I'm fine.(*)
2): When reading literature, I can't listen to music with lyrics as I get distracted from the material which greatly slows my ability to read.
3): When reading education materials, I can't list to music with a lot of "body"; I can listen to music with lyrics and even somewhat complicated pieces, but I tend to focus on the music itself when listening to very complex music--mixed meter/variant signature--instead of the materiel I'm trying to learn.

Also, do real graphics artists make those "boom!" "crash!" "splash!" sounds with their mouth, too, when drawing and creating explosions for games and shows and movies?

I'm a crap artist myself, but I know a guy who hops around the room swinging imaginary swords to fight imaginary demons.

I don't think sound effects wold be unusual.

Soma

(*) Let's just say, without some minor distractions in the background, I focus to the point of neglecting even my own well-being.

Kinda depends for me.

If I'm learning something new, or have to really think a problem through I usually have something very mellow in the background.

Currently that's the album 'Laid' by 'James', which has been played to death over the last couple of months.

Otherwise I can listen to just about anything.

Originally Posted by phantomotap

(*) Let's just say, without some minor distractions in the background, I focus to the point of neglecting even my own well-being.

Ha! So I'm not the only one! I've learned to take breaks, and think when I walk in circles (often with a cup of tea or coffee in my hand). Helps with my lower back, too.

Originally Posted by phantomotap

2): When reading literature, I can't listen to music with lyrics as I get distracted from the material which greatly slows my ability to read.

If I'm reading something in English, and I hear Finnish lyrics, or vice versa, my brain starts tripping on its own feet. It greatly hampers my concentration, much more than when reading something and hearing lyrics in the same language.

Originally Posted by phantomotap

3): When reading education materials, I can't list to music with a lot of "body"; I can listen to music with lyrics and even somewhat complicated pieces, but I tend to focus on the music itself when listening to very complex music--mixed meter/variant signature--instead of the materiel I'm trying to learn.

When reading say physics or math-related articles, I cannot listen to lyrics at all. The interesting and important points are difficult to notice, and I need all my focus to find them.

On the other hand, classical pieces (without piano, vocals, or very high notes -- cellos and basses are very good for this), even complex ones as long as I've heard them before, seem to make focusing slightly easier. (Although, it could be because without any music at all, outside noises are more distracting.)

Have you (anyone reading this) noticed whether the need/benefit from specific types of background music correlates with the presence of external noises?

Originally Posted by phantomotap

I know a guy who hops around the room swinging imaginary swords to fight imaginary demons.

I often manipulate and peer at imaginary objects; helps my internal visualization. When I did some sonification research (wrt. molecular dynamics), I did also do occasional sound effects. That was in a cubicle, but nobody teased me about it..

Sounds are so much harder to just imagine than objects.

Originally Posted by gemera

If I'm learning something new, or have to really think a problem through I usually have something very mellow in the background.

Have you noticed any difference between (true) silence and mellow music?

I mean, if there are distracting background noises, some smooth non-irritating music is perfect for shielding the noise, obviously.

Have you (anyone reading this) noticed whether the need/benefit from specific types of background music correlates with the presence of external noises?

O_o

I'm pretty much literally never without music.

Show/Movie: I listen to the native soundtrack. (Well, I try to listen to the native soundtrack. Crappy explosion effects are the foreground of a lot of movies these days.)
First Playthrough of a Game: I hear the native soundtrack. (Well, again, I try; here guns and other ridiculous effects are the order of the day.)
Extra Playthrough of a Game: I play music/watch a show/movie. (*)
Traveling: I play music.
Reading a Book: I play music.
Programming: I play music.
Practicing Violin: I, literally, play music.
Getting Ready for Bed: I play music.
Actually Asleep: I play music. (I prefer soft instrumental Gaelic for sleepy-times. You may think of "Lanigan's Ball" recast as a lullaby and be there.)

Yeah, I've listened to ten's of thousands of hours of music, and that's not counting what I hear while I'm asleep.

*shrug*

I don't know if I'd speak to correlation, but at this point, even the smallest of external noises will get my attention while asleep even with the music, and I do actually blame years of sleeping with reliable noise--white noise machines--and then music exclusively for this problem.

*sigh*

Last night I woke up during a track change event--approximately two seconds of silence--because the roof of my house chose that instant to evoke a "settle"/"weather" event.

Soma ;_;

(*) Nope. I wasn't joking. I will and do focus to the point of neglecting even my own well-being.