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[timmeh]

I've typically got music running in the background when I'm working on a programming project.  Use to be mostly metal (heck, mostly Disturbed...), more recently I had a lot of more orchestral stuff, and the last few days I've left this running.  Despite my lack of musical talent, I keep my guitar next to my desk, so I can screw around with it if I get stuck on something.  Same with a pencil and paper, can't draw, but it helps me think sometimes.  My brother leaves metal blaring so loud I can hear it on the other side of the house, my dad and I both whistle sometimes too, although only usually if I'm too distracted to realize I'm doing it...

What do you do when you're working on something, be it programming, art, or whatever else?

[Bricks]

I have a Pandora One account, so any and all types of music are playing while I'm working.  I've noticed that I associate certain songs with programs I've made, so when I go back and play some of my old stuff, I get these freaky ghost-sounds in my head.

Thanks for that link, I love video game music.

[Boksi]

I know that feeling Bricks. Every time I hear certain Beatles songs, I remember MoO II, because I had a Beatles CD stuck in my CD tray while I was on a MoO II binge.

[Dasleah]

Coding, sure, blast whatever music I've got. When I'm writing it's usually silence. Music contains all sorts of beats and progressions, themes and moods, and unless I've selected the playlist with those things in mind, I don't want them influencing a work in directions I don't want it to go. That and it's very distracting - I have to have it turned down so low that I barely register it anyway, so most of the time I don't see the point.

[timmeh]

Same here Bricks!  And some times it isn't even music I was playing.  My brother use to blare various metal songs all the time, and we used to share a room, so even now some of the Disturbed songs and obscure screamo bands he likes remind of Dwarf Fortress, no matter how much I dislike the song

That's a good point though Dasleah... hadn't really thought about that before, but now that you mention I can see where that'd be a problem.  Music has a substantial effect on other things I do, so I can definitely see it influencing writing and such...

[Outcast Orange]

I have an opposite ghost effect. Games don't remind me of songs, but songs remind me of games.
Whenever I hear Tom Sawyer for instance, I think of N, the ninja game. I was playing that forever and listening to Rush a ton back then.

I usually start the Rayman 2 Soundtrack, let it run on shuffle, then fall back into my total library, which has literally everything I like even remotely. Half of the tracks are BGM for animes, video games, or random sound effects.

Thanks for that link, I'd love to hear vidjo-game music in a radio-play context.
I've also got probably 200 songs my GF sent me, which I'm slowly learning to recognize, much to her smiles.

Basically, letting iTunes run is always an adventure.
Secretly, I always hope the next song will be the Sonic 2 credits, which is a medley, but it rarely comes up.

On that note, I think it's important to cycle through a very large library, and not just dig out the songs you like most. Otherwise they are too common and you become bored with them quickly. So I listen to mostly whatever comes on, only skipping the ones I've binge-listened back when I was 12. <This is what I try to avoid.

And that is how the cougar tumbles.

[Errol]

Somewhat similar here, each time I hear the Cyber Maze 2 Track from Mega Man X5 I'm reminded of Master of Magic because I left it on on repeat while playing.

My library is close to 100% of video game OST/remixes, mainly Touhou, Mega Man and assorted stuff. I'm prone to binge listening but being picky is nearly unavoidable if you have an 1GB mp3 player. This has led to me being relatively tired of my stuff, overall, but some stuff... well, I just have to listen to it over and over ;_; usually it's the new stuff.

I should play the actual games for some more associations, those are always fun...

[Alexhans]

Yeah, music might help with the flow of programming depending on what are you doing.

I migth listen to anything depending on the mood but I have a very tranquil "G.I. Jukebox: Original Hits from Swing Era Disc 2" to listen when I want my mind to run on autopilot but be able to work undistracted.

Then I've got so much different music... From waht you would consider girl stuff like Ace of Base, Abba, Avril Lavigne to Dropkick Murphys, Helloween, Gamma ray.  I like Rap like eminem (not the relapse though), mobb deep, Jay-z.  I've got instrumental music from movies & series and lots of OST albums.  Big fan of Oasis.  A very cool spanish Reggae that helps me program at the darkest times called "leonchalon"... XD  Oh... and I've got a playlist of the best 11 classical songs of all time (subjective) that is awesome.  "Canon" from Pachelbel has got me...

I think you get my drift... Depending on the context (mood, project, hour...) I choose my playlist, type of music, whatever and probably just shuffle it.

dude... "mmediate Music (Themes from Orchestra and Choir Vol 3) - Army of Justice (Neon Flux)" was great... lol... I love that EPIC music.

"whistle while you work" made me remember of missy elliot's shake your pom pom lyrics... XD 

Cool fact: Bill Gates and all his pals listened LOUD ACID ROCK while programming...

oh... and that pandora stuff doesn't work outside the US...
There's probably a way to fake I'm from US with an redirected IP?  who knows... I'd like to try it...

[Outcast Orange]

When I want to listen to the Canon, I listen to audio I snatched from this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owAj5LiXG5w

There are better versions of it, but I find that one the most epic.

Also, "Open Your Heart"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEzXFuYN89k
just came on, so I'm off to do something extreme for the duration.

[Bricks]

oh... and that pandora stuff doesn't work outside the US...
There's probably a way to fake I'm from US with an redirected IP?  who knows... I'd like to try it...

Wish I could help.  It's a great service, but music licensing problems have plagued it since the beginning.  The main reason I went for the paid version of the service is because they limited listening to 40 hours a month, which I usually get through in a week.

[Maggarg - Eater of chicke]

If I'm writing, I listen to baroque music and progressive rock.
If I'm just chillan, I listen to the blues, southern rock and jazz, and if I'm just doing normal listening it could be anything.

[Alexhans]

You guys should check this out:
http://www.classicproject.cl/index2.html

I know it's in spanish... it was edited by a chilean... But most of the compilations are in english so...

They are compilations of more than 50 minutes (different genres and epochs) where each song takes a minute and is linked with great quality to the next one...

Great for parties (there's a dvd version in wich you see the corresponding part of each original video) and for background music. 

In fact, last weekend, in a friend's pary we had a projector playing these dvd's in a wall... huge success... and it's not the first time.

You never get tired because songs change fast enough...

EDIT:  And I also discovered this page today... it's pretty cool:
http://www.musicovery.com/
plays music according to your moods... 

[Willfor]

I generally just have music while I'm (creatively) working as white noise. My mind tends to tune it out, but it helps me tune out the random noises coming from the rest of the house. It's usually whatever music I'm addicted to. Right now the band I'm addicted to is Florence and the Machine (which I guess you could call brit pop, but better).

_{This is a gift~ It comes with a price~ Who is the lamb and who is the knife?~ Midas is king and he holds me so tight~ And turns me to gold in the sunlight~}

[TheDarkJay]

Typically Jazz when programming (keeps me relaxed so I don't flip out when things don't work how I want them too), dance music when working out (energy woo! XD), and when writing stories songs which capture the mood I want to accomplish best.

[Maggarg - Eater of chicke]

Sometimes I make playlists of really menacing songs and things.