[milkweg]

I can read and listen to music at the same time only if what I am reading is of a light nature. Like this forum. If it is a deep book then I must concentrate on one or the other and I think that is the best way to go about it too. If you are trying to understand a deep book then you don't want your mind distracted by music, or vice versa.

 

[yukihiro]

I can only read and listen to music at the same time if the music doesn't have any singing. The vocals distract me the most. Without any vocals, music slows down my reading, but it's doable.

 

[dazzer1975]

if I do both, I find myself focusing on one or the other, then I will stop and realise that for the last half hour i either havent heard the music or taken in the book.

33, but iv'e never been able to concentrate critically on reading and music at the same time, i'd be surprised if anyone else could either.

 

[krmathis]

Yes, I do it all the time.
While surfing the web, commuting to work, and more. It can't be called critical listening though.

 

[jeffreyj900]

Yes I can. Although, like others have mentioned it can't be anything complicated.

 

[dhaninugraha]

I do it all the time - reading lecture notes and listening to Jason Mraz at the same time

 

[Jigglybootch]

I can, but I comprehend very little of what I read. But then again that's true whether I'm listening to music or not.

 

[uberburger101]

My music is too distracting. I used to be able to do it before I started on this hobby.

 

[yukihiro]

I was just listening to some classical music while reading a biography on Mao Zedong. Then all of a sudden some male vocals were thrown into the song, and I couldn't concentrate on what I was reading. I actually have no idea what they were singing since it was in some other language other than English, but the vocals threw me off and made me lose my concentration. Then I thought about this thread and that really made me lose my concentration. grr...

 

[appophylite]

Reading/Listening to Music at the same time is one of the only major examples of true multitasking I am capable of. The only other one, is watching/listening to movies while doing work or homework.

In either case, neither watching movies or listening to music are done critically while my mind focuses on the other task primarily.

 

[Happy Camper]

Background volume only.

 

[robm321]

Not effectively.

 

[Skorpitarius]

Yeah I can do both and if i'm sitting down listening to 'phones, i'm probably reading stuff on the web/etc . or IM-ing with friends ...
I am 38 years old. I don't read fictitious stuff, only informative stuff really .

 

[Uncle Erik]

Yes, but I can only concentrate on one thing at a time. If I'm reading, then no critical listening. Background music is good, though.

 

[ramintop]

I have to listen to music while studying, if I study in silence I'll get bored fast and my mind will start wandering.