Music in the shop

[lowell holmes]

How many listen to music in the shop. I bet more neanderthals do than do power tool shops. I do both, so I can listen to my boom box.

If you do listen to music, what do you listen to?

I listen to everything from classic to country western. Today, I listened to an Arhoolie album. I'm curious if any of you know what this album is.

It is a 5 cd set my daughter gave me a few years back. There is Zydeco, jazz, folk, religious, folk and more. Chris Strachwitz toured dance halls, beer joints, anywhere he could find music and recorded it. The time span was from 1960 until 2000.

Visualize a period furniture maker in his shop listening to this genre.

I bet there is a woodworker out there that listens just to Rolling Stones.

[David Christopher]

I have XM in the shop, and it is on all the time that im in there

[Joe Pelonio]

My shop has Cable TV, and an AF/FM Stereo with CD, and also can watch DVDs on either of the two computers. It all depends on my mood and what might be going on. You'd be surprised how much I listed to good old-fashioned AM, sports and some local call-in garden, car repair, and home improvement programs on Saturdays.

As for music it's 80% classic Rock, but I also like blues, jazz, even classical. Just don't come near me with opera.

[Myk Rian]

I posted a pic of a saw with the TV on in the background. Got chastised by a couple holier than thou types about distractions in the shop.
Yes, I have the TV or radio on. The TV is behind me when I'm using the machines. Not a distraction at all.

[David Weaver]

On the weekends, i like to listen to the local talk in the shop. The only power tools that run are a belt sander, grinder or bandsaw, and none of those are on too long.

Our local talk hosts are kind of dumb. That's why I like to listen to them - mangling logic and saying totally ridiculous things where any numbers are involved - and doing other such things that defy any listener's sense.

[Jim Koepke]

Today, I listened to an Arhoolie album.

I would be surprised to find many that have heard of Arhoolie Records. I used to shop in Down Home Music when we lived in California. I am not sure if they were connected to Arhoolie, but they were in the same building and sold some of the Arhoolie CDs. I have a few of them. Barrel House Blues and other jazz and blues CDs.

I listen to swing, jazz, blues, rock, country, classics and some novelty and alternative, celtic and many others. It is on my wife's iPod and we have an FM transmitter that hooks up to it so we can take it with us and listen on any FM radio.

Most of the time I am either listening to talk radio or NPR for Prairie Home Companion and a few other programs. One of their musicians, Andy Stein used to play with the Commander Cody country/rock band.

jim

[Mike Zilis]

I've got an iPod Classic connected to an old set of surround speakers with subwoofer. It's packed to the gills with my music from my CD collection. Mostly progressive rock and jazz for me. Growing up I was a trumpet player and drummer so I've got a lot of Maynard Ferguson and Buddy Rich. Usually I just put it on shuffle and each song becomes like a little surprise.

Mike

[Dave Gaul]

Maynard Ferguson
Mike

I know Maynard!! I played trumpet in HS too, and we managed to have him and his band put on a concert at our school! Sorry, not too often ya hear someone else who knows who he is...

LOML was tired of all the speakers for the 7.1 surround sound in the living room, so I took two of them out to the shop, hooked up to an Onkyo recevier I got used and plugged in my ipod... Listen to mostly Led Zeppelin and Linkin Park....

[David Weaver]

Maynard is popular in pennsylvania. We played more than one maynard ferguson arrangement in my four years of marching band in high school.

In college, we used to turn up the maynard loud just because it was swanky, and then toward the end of college, he and his band showed up at Bald Eagle HS and played a show. I didn't get to see it, though.

On the subject of what's good for woodworking, seems like Flamenco should be a good thing for HT woodworkers.

[John Coloccia]

I have an old laptop in the shop that I use to stream radio stations. Usually WABC because that's out of my hometown (NY) and it makes me feel at home. It was the only choice because I get 0 reception in the shop. Now that I do it like this, I would never do it any other way.

[Dave Gaul]

Maynard is popular in pennsylvania. We played more than one maynard ferguson arrangement in my four years of marching band in high school.

In college, we used to turn up the maynard loud just because it was swanky, and then toward the end of college, he and his band showed up at Bald Eagle HS and played a show. I didn't get to see it, though.

On the subject of what's good for woodworking, seems like Flamenco should be a good thing for HT woodworkers.

Actually, I went to HS in NC... pretty big deal for him to come to our dinky school! (Cape Hatteras High School, I had 42 kids in my grad class!)...

One other thing, when I'm doing hand tool work, like chiseling or planing, and I need to take my time, I turn some more calming music on, like Norah Jones (don't laugh, it helps me stay focused!)...

[Mark Patoka]

My radio (son's broken boombox) is currently picking up the country station so that's what I listen to. Otherwise my station of choice is classic rock, when I get reception.

At a previous home, I used to have a 13" TV I could watch and didn't find it a distraction as I had my back to it when I would use the power tools.

[Mitchell Andrus]

50's, 60's, 70's, NPR, iPod with my jazz/swing collection.

I don't miss much when the ear muffs are on... I know all the tunes. I hear every note.

Ding, dong! The witch is dead.....
.

[Cary Falk]

I have a TV in my garage seet to the Discovery Channel. I use it mostly for noise. If there is something I wand to see I stop what I am doing to watch and then resume work after it is done. It has never been a problem for me.

[bob blakeborough]

What? No other 40 year old Punk Rock woodworkers out there? I can't be the only one... Or can i???