I have a slightly obsessive relationship with background music while working. I like to match beats to brainwaves.
To spark original ideas, I turn to my classic jazz playlist. There’s something about scratchy brass instruments playing musical hopscotch with double-timed drums and undulating bass that tricks my brain into believing it, too, is capable of such improvisational brilliance. Results, however, may vary. On a good day, when everything clicks, disparate ideas weave together in unexpected ways, forming a masterpiece– like a Miles Davis standard. More often than not, though, my ideas end up as formulaic, syrupy concoctions– more Kenny G than Coltrane.
For the mind-numbing purgatory of email management, I rely on mindless pop. Usually from the ’80s. There’s nothing like a steady, repetitive synth rhythm pulling you forward, whether you want to go or not– much like clicking through unread messages. Not being an ’80s purist, I indulge in contemporary pop too, as evidenced by the heavy rotation of Sabrina Carpenter’s pleas to “please, please, please don’t prove her right” on my playlist. These songs are my disposable productivity boosters, consumed and discarded like Red Bull. Perky, addictive and probably just as questionable for my mental well-being if overdone.
For deep concentration, I turn to classical music. There’s nothing quite like having Mozart, Haydn or Handel as study buddies. Though I suspect they’d be highly judgmental about how often I task-away to check on the status of my latest Shopee parcel or browse rumours of upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. Baroque and Classical pieces are said to help extract deeper meaning from dense texts. Or maybe, they just make me feel sophisticated enough to pretend I understand what I’m reading.
I’m rarely without these trusty sonic companions.
As a result, people often see me surrounded by enough audio equipment to look like a sound engineer. Whether it’s through speakers (that are far too large for my tiny home office desk) or my mobile setup (a DAC and in-ear monitors that, when worn, resemble some kind of ear surgery apparatus), I always make sure my musical crutches are within reach.