I find that a lot of times when I read I need complete silence. Despite the fact that silence is what I want, things don’t always work out in my favor. When I find myself at the beach, in a room with my family, in a room with a TV on, or in a waiting room somewhere, I will simply put in my music and block out the rest of the world.
I know that this is different for everybody, but I find that while I’m reading I can only listen to hip-hop/rap, or classical music. A weird combination, I know, but it works! Specifically, some of my favorite songs to read to are Yeah! by Usher, Get Low by Lil Jon and The Eastside Boyz, and pretty much any Kanye West song. The classical songs that I listen to mostly consist of Beethoven, but I branch out to others occasionally.
You’re probably wondering why these two genres of music are the ones of my choosing. They’re strange choices, I know, but I think the rap is good for me to listen to because I don’t really have to focus on the words since they’re being spoken so quickly. With the rap music I can just feel the beat as it blocks out the outside noise. The classical music on the other hand is a favorite of mine because it’s soothing and makes me feel smart.
I think when it comes to choosing which music to listen to while reading it’s all trial and error! Find what works best for you. For example, it’s important for me to find a song that doesn’t distract me because songs have the ability to spark ideas/memories/thoughts in my mind and I can’t focus on the words in front of me. It’s all really dependent on what fits your needs and likes/dislikes!
