Not novel to me personally at all but I know that other people claim (perhaps rightfully so) that music helps them concentrate.
I can't. Especially not with repetitive, melodic music like other siblings say helps them. That's an absolute killer as I starts repeating the melody in my head. Potentially even after I shut the music itself off.
My suspicion is that many people have too many other distractions and music helps them because it's less distracting than the other things. Some people say white noise, such as from an AC helps them sleep. It drives me crazy and I can't fall asleep at all. It does beat a busy street with cars zooming by, revving, honking etc.
Where music can help if there's a mundane repetitive task I need to just get done, because automating it does not make sense at that point. Certain music helps. Allegedly farmers use the same technique to make strawberry pickers faster.
Have you never heard of or witnessed people that turn off their car stereo when they need to drive backwards?
Different people are different? I can focus and be productive while watching tv shows or listening to music - but I frequently miss things in the show (which I’m ok with), and I know people who just can’t even have it on nearby without it distracting them from the task.
That's half my point, yes. Plus the fact that many many people probably just claim it helps them concentrate because it helps them drown out worse distractions. If these other distractions didn't exist, the music however would make it worse. Unfortunately though you can also get used to a certain noise floor though and if that noise floor is gone, that's uncomfortable in its own right. If you've never been, try to find one of those complete silence rooms where even your footsteps 'disappear'. It's deafening.
Your TV example I think shows some of this very nicely. You are able to drown out the TV in your head but you aren't able to actually multitask. If you were, you'd know what went on in the show and also get your task done productively. Unless the TV itself drowns out other more distracting things, just not having the TV on would probably be better for concentration.
YMMV in case you are so used to all the noise that you need "something there" because otherwise you get say tinnitus.
I do the TV thing too sometimes but inadvertently. I watch TV, am a little bored perhaps and start say reading HN and at some point notice that the show is over. I totally drowned out the show.
Music keeps my mind destracted enough that i don't get bored quickly and can enter the "flow state". If i get stuck i stop the music because it does negatively affect my ability to solve complex problems. Once i planned how to proceed, my music impaired brain is capable enough to finish the job.
for me it works… sort of. the music helps me concentrate, but that’s only because it eliminates the background noise. i would rather have silence, but this can’t happen when almost everywhere you get open offices. so i guess it’s both, it’s worse than silence but it’s better than what open office provides.
I can't. Especially not with repetitive, melodic music like other siblings say helps them. That's an absolute killer as I starts repeating the melody in my head. Potentially even after I shut the music itself off.
My suspicion is that many people have too many other distractions and music helps them because it's less distracting than the other things. Some people say white noise, such as from an AC helps them sleep. It drives me crazy and I can't fall asleep at all. It does beat a busy street with cars zooming by, revving, honking etc.
Where music can help if there's a mundane repetitive task I need to just get done, because automating it does not make sense at that point. Certain music helps. Allegedly farmers use the same technique to make strawberry pickers faster.
Have you never heard of or witnessed people that turn off their car stereo when they need to drive backwards?