Music as a weapon? The opposite of healing/helping.

M

MusicDirector

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While music is one of the most powerful aids in healing and helping, it can also be a two-edged sword unfortunately, in the wrong hands.

Why are people so rude with music at times? When I’m at work or doing any work requiring any thought at all, the last thing I want is music playing. I’m not allowed to have music at work and would not have music even if I was, but anyone else is allowed and that includes the person next to me (who happens to be above me in rank). I have to be subjected to this damn disturbing mess they play while I am trying to concentrate. I can’t get anything done!
People like to think that what they listen to is universally liked and loved by everyone and their favorites and dislikes are also everyone else’s. They think everyone appreciates their taste and wants to listen to what they are listening to at the same time and to hell with common decent respect.

When did it become wrong to have respect and not disturb others? I would never dare even think that anyone liked one note of my musical taste and would not assume enough to play it for anyone even in a listening session without asking first at least, let alone a work environment!

There is a time and a place for music and what have you and work is not one of them, at least in my job. If I worked alone or from home and did things requiring no concentration and wanted to have music on, then that is a different game. However, not in a public place! I actually quit a job in small part because of music being used a weapon. My supervisor at that place would play music all the time, but she had the decency to at least back-handedly ask if she could play it. (She would anyway, but at least she faked to ask). Just to complete that thought, she would always play classical (which I happen to like), but she always played funeral dirges (which I do not like) and it drove me nuts. (She was mentally unstable anyway which was far more the reason I left).

Currently, I am subjected on occasion to this chaotic music or noise, I think its modern country, I’m not sure it’s even music, but I would even find my favorite music disturbing at this point. I can’t concentrate on my work.
Why is it now wrong to listen to music without disturbing others? If someone wants music while they work, fine, nothing wrong with that if you can keep it to yourself. I don't think volume knobs are an after-thought and headphones or ear phones were invented just because someone was bored and had nothing to do.

This type of thing makes me not want to listen to even my favorite music even on weekends or any other time I can sometimes.

I don't mean this to sound like a rant or anything, but it's bothered me forever and I've kept it quiet all this time.
 
I find that if somebody at work is playing music that I like, it's even more distracting than music I don't like. I can shut out bad music, but if I like it, I get drawn into it and have a harder time being focussed on work. (of course reading Audioshark at work is different)
 
Understand exactly what you are saying, but I don't understand why everyone but you can have music at work. The biggest issue I have with my neighbors is when they blast music outside, and I can hear/feel it inside with my windows closed. I will be listening to a string quartet, and thinking I do not remember a BOOM, BOOM, BOOM in this before.
 
BlueFox said:
Understand exactly what you are saying, but I don't understand why everyone but you can have music at work. The biggest issue I have with my neighbors is when they blast music outside, and I can hear/feel it inside with my windows closed. I will be listening to a string quartet, and thinking I do not remember a BOOM, BOOM, BOOM in this before.
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Wow! That's almost worse..or well, at least the same idea. I get a lot of sirens running by my window (some days it's about one every 15 minutes). Those days I just give up and shut down the system.

As for everyone else being allowed to have music and not me: I don't know, but those are orders and it is what it is. I don't care since I don't want music period when I'm trying to concentrate.
 
dlb2 said:
I wonder what Manuel Noriega would have to say on the subject? ;)
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Same thing all of the Al Qaeda prisoners at Guantanamo would say about it. Now that's music as a weapon which is where I thought this thread was going.
 
MusicDirector said:
While music is one of the most powerful aids in healing and helping, it can also be a two-edged sword unfortunately, in the wrong hands.

Why are people so rude with music at times? When I’m at work or doing any work requiring any thought at all, the last thing I want is music playing. I’m not allowed to have music at work and would not have music even if I was, but anyone else is allowed and that includes the person next to me (who happens to be above me in rank). I have to be subjected to this damn disturbing mess they play while I am trying to concentrate. I can’t get anything done!
People like to think that what they listen to is universally liked and loved by everyone and their favorites and dislikes are also everyone else’s. They think everyone appreciates their taste and wants to listen to what they are listening to at the same time and to hell with common decent respect.

When did it become wrong to have respect and not disturb others? I would never dare even think that anyone liked one note of my musical taste and would not assume enough to play it for anyone even in a listening session without asking first at least, let alone a work environment!

There is a time and a place for music and what have you and work is not one of them, at least in my job. If I worked alone or from home and did things requiring no concentration and wanted to have music on, then that is a different game. However, not in a public place! I actually quit a job in small part because of music being used a weapon. My supervisor at that place would play music all the time, but she had the decency to at least back-handedly ask if she could play it. (She would anyway, but at least she faked to ask). Just to complete that thought, she would always play classical (which I happen to like), but she always played funeral dirges (which I do not like) and it drove me nuts. (She was mentally unstable anyway which was far more the reason I left).

Currently, I am subjected on occasion to this chaotic music or noise, I think its modern country, I’m not sure it’s even music, but I would even find my favorite music disturbing at this point. I can’t concentrate on my work.
Why is it now wrong to listen to music without disturbing others? If someone wants music while they work, fine, nothing wrong with that if you can keep it to yourself. I don't think volume knobs are an after-thought and headphones or ear phones were invented just because someone was bored and had nothing to do.

This type of thing makes me not want to listen to even my favorite music even on weekends or any other time I can sometimes.

I don't mean this to sound like a rant or anything, but it's bothered me forever and I've kept it quiet all this time.
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You keep referring to "orders" like you are in the military? Are you? As for your boss being mentally unstable, I have some other thoughts on that as well, but I best keep them to myself. There are lots of marginally stable people in the workforce and many of them are medicated so they can behave halfway normal.
 
MusicDirector said:
While music is one of the most powerful aids in healing and helping, it can also be a two-edged sword unfortunately, in the wrong hands.

Why are people so rude with music at times? When I’m at work or doing any work requiring any thought at all, the last thing I want is music playing. I’m not allowed to have music at work and would not have music even if I was, but anyone else is allowed and that includes the person next to me (who happens to be above me in rank). I have to be subjected to this damn disturbing mess they play while I am trying to concentrate. I can’t get anything done!
People like to think that what they listen to is universally liked and loved by everyone and their favorites and dislikes are also everyone else’s. They think everyone appreciates their taste and wants to listen to what they are listening to at the same time and to hell with common decent respect.

When did it become wrong to have respect and not disturb others? I would never dare even think that anyone liked one note of my musical taste and would not assume enough to play it for anyone even in a listening session without asking first at least, let alone a work environment!

There is a time and a place for music and what have you and work is not one of them, at least in my job. If I worked alone or from home and did things requiring no concentration and wanted to have music on, then that is a different game. However, not in a public place! I actually quit a job in small part because of music being used a weapon. My supervisor at that place would play music all the time, but she had the decency to at least back-handedly ask if she could play it. (She would anyway, but at least she faked to ask). Just to complete that thought, she would always play classical (which I happen to like), but she always played funeral dirges (which I do not like) and it drove me nuts. (She was mentally unstable anyway which was far more the reason I left).

Currently, I am subjected on occasion to this chaotic music or noise, I think its modern country, I’m not sure it’s even music, but I would even find my favorite music disturbing at this point. I can’t concentrate on my work.
Why is it now wrong to listen to music without disturbing others? If someone wants music while they work, fine, nothing wrong with that if you can keep it to yourself. I don't think volume knobs are an after-thought and headphones or ear phones were invented just because someone was bored and had nothing to do.

This type of thing makes me not want to listen to even my favorite music even on weekends or any other time I can sometimes.

I don't mean this to sound like a rant or anything, but it's bothered me forever and I've kept it quiet all this time.
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I play music in my office. It's my office, so I play what I like. I also have televisions in the rooms, so patients can watch something if they want, but the TVs have no sound--only closed captioning. The music plays on. There are volume controls in all the rooms (controllable by the staff) and the music is never very loud in most of the rooms, but it's there. Quite frankly, I don't want anyone humming while we work, so I don't play things people would generally know that they could hum. That means essentially no vocals or popular songs. Exceptions to that are Gilbert and Sullivan, Broadway shows (I play about 300 of them) and operas, of which I play about twenty in the collection. The rest is jazz (NOT mindless smooth jazz), some current instrumental music and classical music from the baroque, classical and romantic eras. I did take out the Bach harpsichord fugues from the play lists because it did make some people crazy. Most people comment and tell me they like the music that I play.

I can't recall anyone saying they wished I played pop music. In fact, sometimes if a current broadway show like Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is playing, they might say something like "what's the matter with the music today!"
 
...or maybe you need to disclose what you are doing to them whilst they are listening to the said "queen of the desert" Gary!!!
 
I am pretty fortunate to be able to listen to listen to almost anything that I want at work. Obviously there are times when it can be inconvenient. I am ALWAYS respectful of coworkers and depending on which desk I am at that week, have more or less freedom. Working nights (second shift) helps a great deal, especially if the "bosses" are not around or the ones on duty are more easy going. Music can make or break the workday.
 
Music can make you more productive if you are doing some monotonous work. I'm on the phone most of the day, so I have music playing, but very softly. When I'm reviewing and working on a RFP, music definitely helps!
 
joeinid said:
I am pretty fortunate to be able to listen to listen to almost anything that I want at work. Obviously there are times when it can be inconvenient. I am ALWAYS respectful of coworkers and depending on which desk I am at that week, have more or less freedom. Working nights (second shift) helps a great deal, especially if the "bosses" are not around or the ones on duty are more easy going. Music can make or break the workday.
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"Music can make or break the workday". That is the point. If your co-worker or whomever is doing work that requires much thought and attention and your paying disruptive music only thinking about yourself and not how it effects others. On top of that if your singing along with it (and can't carry a tune in a bucket either), that is beyond when it can break a workday.

That's why I put a question mark after "Music as a weapon". Music is the greatest thing in the known universe, but in the wrong hands, it can be a problem rather than a help.
 
Mike said:
Music can make you more productive if you are doing some monotonous work. I'm on the phone most of the day, so I have music playing, but very softly. When I'm reviewing and working on a RFP, music definitely helps!
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I absolutely agree Mike. (Then the type of music also has to be considered). However, when your doing vital work requiring a lot of thought and attention, it can be problematic at best. Especially if it is not playing softly and the person playing it is trying to sing along and knowing it is disturbing.
I'm all for trying to make one's self happy and using music to do it (I do that myself as well), but there is an appropriate time and place for that.
 
There is someone who hums incessantly in our workplace and he annoys the hell out of people. He is also delusional and thinks everyone just loves him when in fact many people would love to punch his lights out, but then that wouldn't be considered acceptable behavior in the workplace.
 
mep said:
There is someone who hums incessantly in our workplace and he annoys the hell out of people. He is also delusional and thinks everyone just loves him when in fact many people would love to punch his lights out, but then that wouldn't be considered acceptable behavior in the workplace.
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You need to play music they either do not know or are unable to hum--like atonal music or Bach fugues. :D
 
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