BROOKLYN’S TOO COLD TONIGHT | |
I do not work well in silence.
Before long, my shoulders would be heavy, and I would feel something dense like a thin layer of wax slowly make itself under my skull, a dull throbbing following it soon. My mind would shut down and lull itself to sleep.
Nowadays there are ways to accommodate people like me: Coffitivity (for Cafe or crowd sounds), White Noise, Fireplaces, and of course the playlists at 8tracks. Out of everything though, I like listening to jazz the best.
There is some science I do not look upon, but it helps to play soothing and stimulating music while you do work (In my case, school & coursework), and of course my kryptonite would be jazz. Go to my "Contact" page and see a picture of Ella Fitzgerald performing in front of Duke Ellington (my favorite) and Benny Goodman.
For the past month, my favorite record to study with would be Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers' "Moanin'." Moanin' is a classic piece, performed by many, even now and frequently used in medleys, but Art Blakey's original recording still carries itself fresh. I do not always believe in the principal that the original versions are always best (look at the recently rebooted Mad Max franchise), but in this case, it really is.
The original LP only carries 5 songs, "Moanin'" being the first and longest at nine and a half minutes, but the total run length is 40 and a half minutes, enough for me to do the average practice numbers.
Sometimes I find myself humming or tapping the beat of the drums with my pencil onto whatever unfortunate surface it comes onto. For me, optimum study comes when the music surrounds you but not suffocate you. The best case scenario would be playing the songs in your head during tests and finding yourself recalling your studies.
But hey, everyone is different. Whichever works, I guess.