Today we’re talking about work music. And I’m not talking about the Bruce Springsteen classics you and your dad blast out of yellow DeWalt speakers painting a doghouse in the yard (I don’t know if these moments really exist, but I saw it on a Lowes commercial once). No, by “work”, I mean the luxurious act of studying, for which the ear’s delicate palate prefers muted tones and hushed soundscape.
If you’ve entered the cranially-demanding world of *~the humanities~* then you’re well aware that Jersey Highway ballads are not conducive to the creative process.
I’ve never gotten the appeal of classical music as a work soundtrack, and am suspicious it’s just a go-to for people that don’t know better. Classical music of the 18th century, by some guys named Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven was not written as background music. Sonatas and symphonies with complex dynamic structures, changing timbre and sharp contrasts in mood will pull you out focus faster than loud OCR talk. This music requires active listening.
In contrast, the ambient genre was created to be unobtrusive. I recommend starting with “Ambient 1: Music for Airports” by Brian Eno, one of the pioneers and masters of the field. Eno introduces a simple piano motif, which quietly transforms as new instrumentation are introduced. The 40-minute record asks almost nothing of the listener. Artists like Fennesz, William Baskinski or Tim Hecker have expanded this art.
Next, check out the European foreign film soundtrack. Piero Umiliani is an Italian composer whose jazz–influenced soundtrack will transport you to a place of calm. Bump "La Ragazza Fuoristrada," and the only thing your Huntsman GSR will be missing is a group of gesticulating Italian men.
For the math majors, the musical world is your oyster. I remember the glory days of high school, before I dedicated my academic career to essay–writing, when I got to do something called “math homework”. Knocking off a calc problem sheet of to Snoop and Dre trading boastful lines of their sexual abilities is an experience I will never forget.
