Studio tunes

If you have the hardware, http://www.wwoz.org broadcasts the music
of New Orleans and the Carribean worldwide on the web. All volunteer,
no commercials, some truly unusual and very deep programming. Lots of
Brazilian and Carribean, reggae so great you never knew it could be
possible, obscure blues and rock and roll from the Delta ca. 1950s,
and of course jazz. From Jelly Roll to five minutes ago. And the
musicians drop in and argue about it on air.

Today this woman was scatting the Bolereo a capella. Could you ever
have imagined such a thing? Just amazing! OZ is great studio music
because it’s a continuous stream of art being pumped through your
head. How cool is that? And who else will spend the afternoon
explaining what John Coltrane was up to so you’ll get it and your
life will be the richer for it?

OZ isn’t for eveyone, but try it and see. All that Wyndham hill
stuff is very nice, but I need more real passion than that. And I
hate to change CDs when I’m busy.

Lizzy Claiborne

Thank you for the link. A great site! Hanuman

If you like to have your music coming out of your computer, check
out www.KPIG.com. Great station out of Carmel, CA (I think). My
computer is not a High-Fidelity unit, so I tend to play CD’s all day.
I have a Nakamichi system in the studio…better than my home system.
What the hell, I spend most of my life in the studio, and very little
at home.

Douglas Zaruba
@Douglas_Zaruba

Hello everyone, All of the music mentioned is available, on our local
campus radio station…and is broadcast on the World Wide Web. Almost
commercial-free, it is one of the best ways to expand your listening
pleasure, without having to constantly change C.Ds. Some programming
is not to everyone’s liking here, so we switch to recorded music of
our own, but the very latest, as well as “pop and scratch” vinyl is
delivered non’stop by some very committed volunteers, 24 hours a
day. The programming talent changes at least every three hours, so
if “death metal” scares the heck out of you, you may only have to
wait an hour to hear jazz, bluegrass, classical, classic rock,
hip-hop, country, or the latest alternative rock/punk/new-age ear
candy. It will leave you with your mouth hanging open in utter
amazement at the variety. If this sounds appealing to you, check them
out at: www.cjsr.com

David (currently listening to Radiohead)
www.davidkeelingjewellery.com

I usually need just the right tempo to get started and I need it
loud! Fleetwood Mac and Lucinda Williams work for me. A new
Americana artist, Tom Gillam does what my DH calls “freight haulin"
music” with the kind of excellent musical instrumentintation I love
in Lucinda’s work. Then I listen to KD Lang, Nora Jones, and I love
some of the new bands from Philadelphia: Stargazer Lilly, The
Princes of Babylon, The Mia Johnson Band and Roi. Sometimes the mood
calls for Queens of the Stoneage, not gangsta rap but definitely
heavy metal. Once in a while I like Joan Baez sings Dylan or Dylan
himself. Music is essential and singing along helps too. I’m adding
more bit by bit. Great thread. Lori

I have delayed dancing in here, overwhelmed with choices and not
wanting to leave anything out that matters. The inclusion of TV now
adds a dimension. However, must say I’m not so high-tech as most.
Am a petite person with a petite studio (casting stuff is in an
outbuilding) and it contains a petite non-boom box radio/cassette
player and a very petite belly-telly TV. That is for sorta watching
the You Are There type news events like disasters and wars. Actually
watched 9/11 happening. I don’t do deadline jobs any more. My
taste in music runs with the mood, and can include all kinds from
country to classic, Celtic to operatic. Love anything guitar,
Latino especially, and many vocals. So I had to think what things
always please me, no matter how old or worn. Favorites are : Al
Petteway and Amy White - both Celtic and New Age (misnomer but don’t
fit any niche really - Love music I call it), Linda Ronstadt,
“Canciones di mi Padre”, Paul Simon “Graceland”, Ottmar Liebert
anything, Patti Griffin, Sarah Brightman, Josh Groban, Andrea
Bocelli, Russian balalaika, Evangeline Made cajun music, Native
American chants and Nakai flute, and nature sounds, sound track from
"Oh Brother Where Art Thou", and Gipsy Kings. Then there’s
Mendelssohn’s Fingal’s Cave Overture (thanks to introduction from
John Burgess). All those things are within reach and make me happy,
along with lots more elsewhere, including some of those ancient wax
and vinyl round things. The CD’s are in my den with computer, or
with me in the car. Gotta have music. News has faded in appeal.

Pat

Hello All, I haven’t replied to a post in a long time. I’m still
here… reading the daily cache with interest. In the past I replyed
quite extensively on moldmaking, spruing, casting and wax. I hope it
is still in the archives and helping someone. The music topic has
struck a chord with me and is one I find near and dear to my creative
urges. In the gallery (Sterling Gallery is in the front of our shop
to display and sell our customers work) we have a Bose system. When
the retail browsers are scarce, I like to crank it up with a CD from
an eclectic selection. When I’m at the bench or centrifuge I put on
the headphones and disappear. My current favorite is a CD called The
Strangers Hand. This is hotwired fusion. It was created in a few days
at a studio in Marin County by four guys, some of whom you may
recognize…Jerry Goodman (of Mahavishnu fame) on electric violin,
Steve Smith on drums (remember him from Journey), Otiel Burbridge
on bass (good friend of Victor Wooten) and Howard Levy on everything
else (harmonica nonpareil). Is there anyone out there that has heard
this? If you are looking for an audio speed rush, this stuff will put
the nitro in your tank. Add a cup of organic Azteca and you are
fueled for some serious production work! In a more pensive mood I’m
likely to opt for Mahlers 9th. Well, there is so much in between it
would take too long to catalogue. John, J.A.Henkel Co., Inc.,
Moldmaking Casting Finishing, Producing Solutions For Jewelry
Artists,

I use great guitar players for energy, and creative inspiration. Joe
Satriani, Steve Vai, Carlos Santana and the like. If it is good
interstate driving music, its probably energetic and creative for
you. Just my preferences of course… Good to hear from you John!

Daniel Ballard

Was: Starting a career at the bench

Headphones are a problem because it indicative that person does not
want to be there, so he/she wears headphones to block the outside
world. 

Sorry, it’s simply not that black and white. I usually put my
headphones on when I need to bunker down and focus on a difficult
task. Yes, I use it partly to shut out the rest of the environment,
but it is done to improve the quality and speed of my work.

Hey all, Studio tunes are incredibly important to my working process.
They can jolly me out of a bad mood, help me hunker down and focus,
motivate me and help me pick up the pace when I am doing production
work. I was thrilled when my accountant told me they were tax
deductible. This has me wondering what you all like to listen to when
you work (one of my motives is to learn of some international
favorites from this amazingly diverse community. Here is what has
been playing at Wolf Designs lately. General work tunes: Damien Rice
’O’, Kathleen Edwards ‘Failer’, Ryan Adams ‘Heartbreaker’,
Whiskeytown ‘Stranger’s Almanac’, Al Petteway & Amy White ‘Racing
Hearts’, Etta James ‘Sweetest Peaches’, my buddy Dwain when he drops
by with his guitar. Design work: anything by Sarah McLaughlin,
Rueben Gonzales ‘Introducing Rueben Gonzales’ Production work: Ottmar
Leibert ‘Nouveau Flamenco’ Studio Clean up: U2 ‘Achtung Baby’, Pearl
Jam ‘Vs.’ So! What do you like to listen to when you work? Best
Regards, Kate

I don’t use headphones in my studio, but my little radio is always
tuned to our classical music station. Listening to Bach, Beethoven,
Mahler, Schubert is a wonderful accompanyment to what I am doing. In
fact, I do my best work when listening to the great masters. So, I
certainly don’t see anything wrong with workmen wearing headphones.

Alma

I am lost in the studio without my music, it stirs my creative juices
and keeps me focused. I have an eclectic mix of New Age, Jazz
(including meditation), World, Pop, R&B, Classical, Soundtracks, you
name it!

Terri Collier

Hi Leonid,

I can see your point on much of what you said, but I am drawn to one
thing:

Headphones are a problem because it indicative that person does
not want to be there, so he/she wears headphones to block the
outside world. 

Don’t judge quite so quickly. I use my iPod when I’m chasing (or
doing damascene cutting). It helps with rhythm. Same thing with
engraving. Weirdly enough, it helps me focus by blocking out exterior
noises. So it may not be that the person doesn’t want to be there, it
may well be that they don’t want to be distracted from work that
they’re really paying attention to.

I think it’s a generational thing though: I notice I don’t use
headphones nearly as much as I did in my 20’s, and I certainly don’t
use them as much as the kids who’re in their 20’s now do.

For whatever that’s worth.
Brian.

Pandora internet radio is what I use in my shop…love it. Pandora
customizes itself to my listening pleasure…Teddy (of course you
need a computer :slight_smile: )

It is important to remember that the business exists to make a
profit and grow, not to provide jobs so newbies can learn the
trade. This is an increasingly misunderstood fact of business and
working. 

It is true that all business exist to make profit and grow. No
profit, no business - that is a given. How it is accomplished is
quite another matter. Some businesses achieve growth via delivering
uncompromising quality and fostering growth of their employees, as
top notch professionals. There are others, who simply squeeze
whatever they can from their employees under the guise of necessity
of making a profit. It is my opinion that beginner should avoid the
later and seek out the former.

To the headphones controversy:

There is a difference between soft background music played in a shop
and headphones. Headphone impair goldsmith by isolating him/her from
auditory feedback. Processes like drilling, sawing, filing,
hammering, and even soldering, - your ears are you early warning
devices. There are auditory clues that something might be going
wrong. Wearing headphone is akin to working wearing mittens. Shops,
where it is allowed, also have management issues. It is an
indication that people wanted to be in their own world. I do not want
to delve into psycho-analysis, but for me it is a huge problem.

Leonid Surpin

Heaven (Myon Remix) by Jes is incredible! Love any group that
produces ambient and trans-like tunes for my concentration.
Vollenweider, Air, Conjure One, Destiny. Favorite rock is the band
Revis right now (Caught In The Rain) - turn it up and rock on!

Margie
Merskymmwaxmodels.com

What do you like to listen to when you work? 

Audio books.

Hi Kate, At last, a serious philosophical discussion worthy of our
attention! Since starting to use Pandora on the computer, we get
great music mixes. Right now we are listening to Andre Segovia and
Adele. Why it throws in anoccasional Ray Charles piece i s a wonder
to me. It is all good. Have fun.

Tom Arnold

These days have the pleasure of working alone in my studio, after a
career of spending every day with lots of goldsmiths and
interruptions. For the last 8 months I have been listening to audio
books all day, usually 2-3 aweek. The list is too long but I’ve
really enjoyed “rereading” come classics. To Kill a Mockingbird comes
to mind, Sissy Spacek read it to me, she was perfect as a reader.
Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities was beautiful and profound, what a
wordsmith he was. Also newer works, I really enjoyed John Twelve
Hawks dystopian novel, The Traveler and am looking forward to it’s
sequels. As well as Kevin J Anderson’s, sci-fi Saga of the Seven Suns
series…I love my local library.

If it’s music, I am a huge Pandora fan and will use the quickmix
feature to work through my list, From Alice in Chains to Antonio
Vivaldi and Arlo Guthrie, to The Black Keys, Cassandra Wilson,
through Dave Matthews, Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, Foo Fighters,
Joe Bonamassa, John Prine, Leo Kottke, Mark Knopfler, Marvin Gaye,
Neko Case, Nora Jones, Punch Brothers…on and on. Pandora was a
brilliant creation for music lovers. If You don’t use it, visit
Pandora.com, it’s free.

Mark

So! What do you like to listen to when you work? 

For me when working on jewellery I prefer classical instrumental -
Vivaldi, Bach Beethoven, Chopin, Mendelssohn and Schubert. When I’m
doing the vacuuming Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix etc VERY LOUD with the
subwoofer pounding. Shows my age I guess.

All the best
Jenny

Just wanted to say thanks for the Wolf wax tools you designed! I
bought a set VERY lightly used, and am having a blast trying to
learn what to do with them! Great designs, and love the storage
container!

Beth Wicker