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I like writing to the sound of golf on TV.
The hushed commentary and quiet applause provide a presence without Distracting. And there’s all that soothing green grass when you do look up.
Tennis is good too, although very distracting when Roger and Rafa play, but otherwise, I like the soft “pocks” and the relatively gentle commentary in the background, which let me think without feeling totally cut off from the world. Of course, if Roger and Rafa are playing it's very distracting for another reason: their beauty of movement and extreme stretches and follow-through are too gorgeous for an artist to ignore.
Roger Federer In Action Against Tomas Berdych - Photo the Guardian
The hushed commentary and quiet applause provide a presence without Distracting. And there’s all that soothing green grass when you do look up.
Tennis is good too, although very distracting when Roger and Rafa play, but otherwise, I like the soft “pocks” and the relatively gentle commentary in the background, which let me think without feeling totally cut off from the world. Of course, if Roger and Rafa are playing it's very distracting for another reason: their beauty of movement and extreme stretches and follow-through are too gorgeous for an artist to ignore.
Roger Federer In Action Against Tomas Berdych - Photo the Guardian
The BBC on low volume is also good for a companionable drone.
Music is just too distracting; it always sweeps me up and makes me listen exclusively to it, drowning out the plot points and dialogue etc. I'm trying to focus on.
On the other hand, total silence freezes my brain. I just can't to write in the thundering quiet of the country. It's great to relax in and paint in, but not to write in. Not for me, anyway. And a soundproof room makes me want to keep rushing out to see if the world is still there. I need to hear signs of life: ducks quacking, water burbling, rain pattering, dishwasher running, pots clattering, children’s voices, birds chirping, the dull roar of city traffic with an occasional siren. Companionable, reassuring and soothing.
First published July 20, 2009
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writing, soundtrack, music
