[asher7323]

I listen to a lot of classical in the library, but I'm looking for something new. For the past and current students here what do you play when you are doing your hw/studying- or used to?

It should not have vocals because that is mainly what I find distracting when trying to read.

Anyone have any recommendations?

 

[mbhaub]

Actually, this is a field I spend a lot of time studying. First, you're right: vocals are way too distracting. But so is almost music you know. Even the slow baroque music is too distracting. There has been a lot of research done over the past few decades in what to listen to in order to stimulate "superlearning". The real guru is Steven Halpern. He has a website with all of his music on it:

Steven Halpern Inner Peace Music: Peaceful Soothing Music for Meditation & Relaxation

Go to MUSIC BY CATEGORY and there you'll find MUSIC FOR LEARNING. It's great stuff. I've used it for years, and I swear by it.

 

[titaniumx3]

Alio Die - Suspended Feathers

You'll feel like your studying deep within a mystical rainforest swampland, surrounded by ancient ruins and magical creatures.

 

[jordanross]

I can listen to almost anything while I study, but classical is nice. I listen to everything from Eagles to Bob Marley, while I'm in the library.

 

[MoodySteve]

I second the suggestion of Alio Die. Some more to consider:
Robert Rich (Below Zero, Somnium)
Steve Roach (The Immersion Series, Darkest Before Dawn)
Sleep Research Facility (Any)
Mathias Grassow (Any)
Klaus Wiese (Any)
Brian Eno (Ambient 1-4)
Aglaia (Any)

 

[monolith]

Brian Eno - Thursday Afternoon
Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians (I use this a lot)
VA - Oxycanta (both 1 and 2)
Second the recommendation for Sleep Research Facility
Experimental Audio Research - Phenomena 256

 

[YiddishHamburgla]

as far as ambient music goes eno is king. i really also enjoy stars of the lid for modern ambient. try tired sounds of stars of the lid album wise. IMO it is not as good as brian eno was but it is still quite decent.

 

[monolith]

Quote:

Originally Posted by YiddishHamburgla /img/forum/go_quote.gif as far as ambient music goes eno is king. i really also enjoy stars of the lid for modern ambient. try tired sounds of stars of the lid album wise. IMO it is not as good as brian eno was but it is still quite decent.

I totally forgot about Stars of the Lid. Anything by them would work too.

Another thing I recently remembered:

Lichens - The Psychic Nature of Being

 

[RubberDuk]

Carbon Based Lifeforms is awesome (a few of their songs have vocals though)
Vond
Mortiis - The Stargate is also ~ambient I enjoy, though it's somewhat sinister and has.. not vocals but wailing of sorts used as an instrument among others..
Summoning (especially the Oath Bound album, again a few tracks have vocals..of sorts)

Not ambient but no vocals and works for me when studying:
The soundtrack for the video game Hitman 2 by Jesper Kyd
Vibrasphere is more downtempo psychedelic

 

[Luminette]

ambience is intense

i can't listen to anything during an activity like that - it's ingrained in me to listen to as well as i can

 

[monolith]

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - anything.

 

[Dublo7]

Moonlight Sonata - Beethoven.

 

[Lamora]

Might be worth trying Gnaural with the Studytime preset.

 

[philodox]

I second the Eno recommendations. Though it's not really ambient, Ulrich Schnauss might be worth a try.

 

[dura]

'Try some stuff by dr Jeffrey Thompson. He makes ~45 minute during drone music for all kinds of moods, pseudo-scientific. Very nice to drown out backgroundnoise without drawing attention. Nature sounds like waves (dan Simmons ocean Waves f.i.) works great too.