The Smiley Smile Message Board

 I asked this in another thread, but thought this question deserved to be asked again: I read the posts here from people that seem to be up on all kinds of music, new and old, and I wonder "how do they have time to listen to all of that?" When I was younger, it seemed that I had a lot more time for music - listening and playing. Then work comes along, and now I am lucky if I have an hour or two during the day to just sit down and do some concentrated listening. I'm not counting having music on while I am online, my focus is not on the music then, it's just background. I'm not counting having the radio on in the car as I do my errands around town. I'm talking that time of day I can sit down in my room in front of the stereo - do people even call them that these days? Listening to the record or cd - preferably with the cover in my hands, reading the lyrics or liner notes, no other distractions except my restless brain. I have no more (sometimes less) than an hour or two for this most days. The exception is Sunday morning when I can sleep late; I put some music on, and this seems to be the best time, as I am completely free of distractions, can just let the music touch me and move me in whatever way it needs to.

I have a long ride to work (a little over a half an hour), so I listen to a lot, then. I usually get into new music through Youtube. Like when I hear about a band that's all the rage, I'll check out a couple of tracks there, and if it interests me I start listening to more. There's a lot of albums on Youtube anymore, I think that's how a lot of people are getting into new bands. That or spotify.

To seriously listen - maybe 30/40 mins on a standard weekend, occassionally blessed with an empty house allows catch-up time.

Music is on most of the time, but in a house filled with of teens it quickly becomes part of the blend rather
than the focal point.

I go to a big university, and on my half-hour walk to class I have time to put on headphones and listen to music. I also listen to music on bus rides or when I do homework that doesn't require reading. I really try to do it whenever.
When it comes to music discovery, I just find albums on spotify or youtube. I also always have people suggesting music to me, so I always have something to listen to. Sometimes I'll just put new music on shuffle so that I'm forced to listen to new, random songs.

I know I'm a dinosaur, but when I'm online, I don't do a lot of serious music listening. I usually have a cd or radio on in the background. Occasionally I check out something on youtube or spotify, but most of my online time is for social networking or studying.

I'm with you.  A few years ago, I had a lot more time to devote to music on evenings and weekends.  That was when I was perpetually single. 

Now, I might get some time, but I find it harder and harder to discover new stuff while still making time for the music in my collection I already love. 

Music has always played an integral part to my family. Constantly heard light classical and show tunes from my parents, and various types of pop/rock and roll from my sisters. We all took music lessons and sang in various choirs.
In college, took a music elective that really turned me on to jazz of all types. Then moved to Chapel Hill, NC, for a few years - heard lots of "beach music," bluegrass and various other acoustic.  Also got exposure to shape note music and have sung that to this day at singings and conventions.
Was in an ethnic dance/music ensemble for 20 years and was music director for the latter part of that time. Got to really know various ethnic styles, primarily Balkan.
With all this, spent lots of time listening to recordings. After 1985 or so got tired of what was on the radio so rarely listened to it any more.
Nowadays the situation is different. Taking care of my mother I don't have the opportunity to listen so much, as I'm afraid that she would call out to me and I wouldn't hear her. So the main listening is when traveling. On long road trips lots of CDs are at the ready. I'm fortunate in having family/friends who periodically turn me on to some new music, though not nearly as much as in the past.

Yeah, that seems to change as we get older. In high school and after, I had a group of friends that were all heavily into various types of music. It was so exciting when they would turn me onto something really good - new or  old; and I loved sharing stuff with them I thought they might like.
I'm hoping to make a few road trips this summer where I can bring along a stack of cd's or cassettes (yes, I still have those). I need to stay 'plugged in' with new and old music, I'm always looking for songs I can do acoustically when I'm out in the summer, playing the street fairs and farmers markets.

One thing I always do is I listen to the same songs hundreds of times.  It seems to me that a lot of people are able to listen to stuff a few times then move on, so they hear a lot more stuff.  Basically if I like a song, I listen to it for quite awhile.  Most of the time when I listen it's driving to or from work. 

So as time goes on I have more and more songs that I really like, and I'm content to listen to those over and over again, so I don't hear anywhere near as much new music as I used to.  If i've got some time and I'm going to listen to something it's almost certainly going to be something I already know, it's just how my brain works.  It's the same for instance with food, I don't eat much new food, just the same food I already enjoy, sometimes I eat the same thing 3 or 4 nights a week!

That could be me, too! Although it's very rare now that there is one song I just have to hear over and over...but it does happen occasionally. Last time that happened was a couple months ago, watching guitarist Stephen Housden (ex-Little River Band) on youtube, there was one song "Girl's Got Secrets" that I was playing nearly everyday for weeks; and a song he did with a girl named Paula Gomez, "Sway" - but I admit it didn't hurt that she was very pretty to look at in the video.  :hat

I must confess I do most of my listening at the computer these days. Orchestral music as I work (but only at the rough stage when I don't need to concentrate so much) and pop late at night and early in the morning (often tips from this forum). Most of this music I'm hearing for the first (and often last) time.

I suppose I just appreciate the silence at other times of the day...

I've zero interest in today's music. When there's free time to delve into new music, I usually save it to listening to 1920s-60s music. Maybe 70s. Past time music is really cool. To rephrase it - I choose (yep, choose) - to dismiss any new music, I cover ears to it deliberately. Do I think it's big mistake? Nope, it's fine. Regarding the time, I listen to music daily, either music music or film music. As you see, I'm friendly with music (& at throats with dancing, ha).