Do they allow music (radios, portable radios/cd players) where you work? Are there quarrels over what type of music is played or the volume level of the music?

My employers recently banned these items. I guess two or three employees had argued about what type of music they wanted to hear and at what volume level.This lead to all radios and cd players being banned as well as being classified as "safety hazards" and "distractions". I tried to persuade my employers to change their minds, to pick one radio station and keep the volume at the same(safe) level but to no avail. I did ask if we could listen to a walkman or radio with earplugs at our work station during break and lunch. They agreed to that request. I think the silence is a distraction. It certainly makes the day go a heck of a lot slower.

I know what you mean, I listen to the cd player on my computer through one ear during the day...(at the moment it's "Play for Today" by the Cure )...

...I'd go absolutely nutty if I didn't have music on during the day...I'd probably just end up singing to myself anyway...and then everybody would have to listen to Johnny Cash all day

Right now, I'm the only employee my company has, so I get to listen to my radio all day. Since I'm the only one in the office, I don't have to worry about volume, musical style or any of that stuff. At my previous job, we were all allowed to listen to our own music in our respective offices as long as the music wasn't too loud.

I think I'd go nuts if I couldn't listen to my music during the day.

Years ago when I had a private office yet had a constant stream of people coming and going, I would put a country/western station on the radio at a low level. I don't particularly care for that type of music but figured it would be better and more professional sounding than the rock I normally listen to. When my husband came to visit one day, he asked me why I was listening to country. I told him it was more professional and besides, I could sing to it better than I could rock. He gently put his arm around me and said "Sweetheart, I hate to tell you this, but you can't sing to anything".

Now that I'm self employed, I listen to what I want - sometimes at ear-splitting levels.

That's cool, Indie, I'm afraid if I had acoustics like that, I'd never get any work done.

That's why I only do it when I'm packaging up our shipments. If I did it all day, I'd never get anything done


I do on occasion go into the other part of the building and shout to hear the echo.

I'm fortunate in that they let us listen to music. Because we're all in tight quarters, those of us with speakers (which is not everyone) does keep the music to a quiet level, so it's not bothersome to anyone else. And, it's amazing how loud you can get it while still keeping it low enough that the people around you can't hear it.

I listen to CDs on my computer sometimes. But, mostly I use the RadioNetscapePlus site. You can choose what kind of music you want to listen to. I usually have it on at work.

Sometimes, I use headphones, but there really isn't the need to unless I want to block out the outside noise - ie, my coworkers who won't shut up about what they had for dinner last night or how much they exercised last week or any of the other inane stuff they somehow find interesting.

The last few years I had a job at some project at my university. It was only me and at most five other students in the same room, without a radio. But we'd listen to an internet radio streaming. The one who was first in got to choose. I always wanted to listen to Bayern3, a German radio station. I didn't have broadband internet at home back then and I can't get the station on my radio at home, so listening to it at work was my only chance. Everybody would get terribly annoyed with the German chitchat in between the songs, but they survived.

Another who doesn't have to worry about anyone else having to hear my music so it's what I want when I want

But

I once worked in a shop with just one other employee and we only had a CD player for music - it was the early days of CD's and both of us were poor travellers so the only CD that we had was a Simon and Garfunkle that was on loop and we must have heard it through ten times a day. I consider myself somewhat of an expert.

Can't do it.

In the office it just isn't a "professional" scenario.

An ex-colleague walked into a different office of the new firm he worked for - everyone was either playing CDs or Radio on their laptops. He couldn't believe that anyone could concentrate on their work - not so much the noise but the blurring of it all together.

I'd just find that it would completely disrupt my thought process - and it is much more entertaining interacting with all the other strange people I work with.

... but when I'm on the train doing my one hour each way commute I normally work with the headphones on. Blocks out the rest of the chaos. In fact I'm not sure what i'd get done without the Clash, Cramps, Specials et al!