What do you listen to when you are crafting? It is such a busy time of year and one does not have much time to relax with all the things that need to be done. So it is best to stay relaxed while at work.
My favorite things to listen to are :
1. KUNC my public radio station because, except for some local ads, it is commercial free. It is the most like German radio stations. I don’t know how people can stand listening to regular radio stations here. The roaring noise of commercials really hurts my ears. In Germany radio stations are not allowed to play commercials all day long. They are all clumped together in a 5 minute sequences right before the news come on. That way one can choose whether you want the news AND NOISY commercials. Or just skip the whole thing. =)
2. Pirate radio 104.7 is my second favorite local Colorado radio station. I love it because they play a lot of music from the Big Band era and music from old movies.
3. CDs from my collection.
My favorite CD at the moment is “girls and boys” by an artist named Ingrid Michaelson. http://www.amazon.com/Girls-Boys-Ingrid-Michaelson/dp/B000VBIGMM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1227705257&sr=1-2
But I also love listening to movie soundtracks. Back when I was living in Berlin, Germany I worked at a gallery. My boss was a great fan and collector of film music. Often I would know the soundtrack of a movie before I had even seen a film. It really gives you an interesting perspective and feel for a movie. You should try it some time. Get the sound track first and listen to it! Try to picture the movie. Then go see the movie!
One thing I don’t enjoy listening to is Christmas music. Sorry pals but the music played at stores really ruins it for me every year. I try to hide the “Frosty the Snowman” CD my kids own for as long as I possibly can. Once it comes out that is ALL they want to listen to.
So tell me: What are your favorites? What helps you relax while crafting marathon style?
I can’t wait to read your comments!
Love, Ulla
You can’t beat music while you work.
Radio Two (no commercials!) and Billy Joel for me :0)
…and no Frosty!!!!!!!!!
I have to agree that commercial holiday music is atrocious! BUT, I have a CD called “Christmas Serenity” and it is all instrumental and beautiful. Sadly, though, without a “real” crafting space, I am usually hearing “Spongebob Squarepants” in the background, because that is what my kids are watching….sad….very sad.
I like Billy Joe,too!
Oh no! Not Spongebob! I think cartoon noises are almost as bad as commercials. Any way you could turn that TV off and make them do crafts instead, earth baby? My kids like to help. They are not allowed to have more than 1 our of TV time per day. And that includes computer and other screentime…That really cuts down on the Spongebog noises…LOL
Oops so many typos…I need more coffee! And got to get back to work!
I really love our local musicians! Earthwork Music puts out some music form awesome musicians – http://www.earthworkmusic.com. I love folk music! Seth Bernard and Daisy May, Breathe Owl Breathe, Steppin’ In It, Rachael Davis, Luke Winslow King, and Jen Sygit…of course there are more! Michael Waite too… http://www.myspace.com/hatchofthemayfly
We also listen to lots of Suzuki Violin CD’s as my daughter plays the violin – LOL!
Hi Ulla,
I am really fortunate because I am often listening to my son composing on our piano or his guitar. He has been teaching himself classical piano and developing his own music, part classical, part contemporary, and it is wonderful to hear the growth and feeling that has evolved in his work over the past 5 years.
When he’s not playing I frequently listen to different international artists and styles…folk, celtic or classical music on my computer radio stations, with the beatles and other oldies occasionally thrown in there as well.
Thanks for posting this! 🙂
I am in *love* with Vashti Bunyun right now — just wonderful for crafting, and very calming. I have an iPod that my dh gave me two years ago, and an iPod dock that I bought him (that he never uses, so I took it back LOL), so I have all of my CDs in one neat little place 🙂 Sometimes I’ll call my kids in and ask them to “DJ” for me. They love picking the songs we craft by 😀
A great seasonal CD that’s not commercial is Windham Hill: A Winter’s Solstice. This is one of my absolute favorites!
I love to listen to Kim Robertson (harp),Crooked Still (bluegrass cello see my blog for more info) NPR (I’m a bit of a political junkie), books on cd, or any of the Fabulous mix music CDs that my sweet hubby makes me! 🙂
Thanks for all the great music tips! I am always open to suggestions!
I have to listen to the spoken word when i am dollmaking.( Maybe because i live alone now.) I like to choose what I want to hear at a given moment so can’t listen to the radio. I mainly listen to novels.I am so lucky that I live within walking distance to a publiclibrary. I go online and order audio books and pick them up from there. My favourites are the classics – the Brontes, Jane Austen and Tolstoy (the reader of Anna Karenina was so wonderful, I could lsten to it over and over again!). I never had time in my life to actually read War and Peace but I listened to the unabridged audio version and loved every minute of it!! (Though there is always the danger that tears may fall on the sewing!) And I enjoy some mystery writers too. i was always a reader and dollmaking does not give me much time for this anymore, so I am very grateful for audio books and the wonderful readers out there.
I don’t listen to music while I work. I like peace and quiet. I usually let the children go outside if at all possible when I work. I knit at night when everyone is asleep. I’m weird. :0)
Great idea with the books on tape! We always get them for car trips. I never thought of getting them to sew by…=)
Jenn – I can respect that too! I enjoy the hours of peace when the children are playing outside or reading books quietly. Luckily my kids love to read!
Hey Ula!
music is great- love that Ingrid album! I’ve been listening to a lot of female artists lately, Keren Ann, Lhasa, Rosi Thomas, Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush.. then when I need to wake up MIA, Stevie Wonder, Micheal J.
Audio books are also great…
http://freeclassicaudiobooks.com/
some recordings are not as good but I’ve enjoyed listening to some classics like Treasure Island and the Invisible man. I have pruchased a few from itunes but it can get a little pricey- there is always the library 🙂
There are some great free podcasts on itunes as well. To keep up on new music sometimes I’ll listen to ‘indie feed for electronica’ or there are other genres to pick from- free! Then if I hear something I love, I write down the name and check out other music by them and maybe buy album.
other times, the thrill of absolute silence is golden after a long day with v loud twin toddlers and their sister. the sound of machine reminds me of my mom and gran so much that I like to get lost in memories as I sew.
D’Andrea (pupapupa)
Yes, silence is golden at times. I had this terrible migrane headache yesterday and had to turn everything off…Thanks for the great tips, pupapupa!