Shop music

[George N. M.]

This seems to best fit under miscellaneous and "Everything Else."  On a lighter topic than how we are dealing with the current Covid-19 crisis I am wondering what sort of music people listen to when they are working in the shop, if you do listen to music.

As background regarding my tastes in shop music I have a theory that a person's music tastes are formed when they are in early adolescence.  What ever is popular then is what a person will tend towards throughout their life.  Also, if there is music in the home about that time of a person's life.  For me, I was at that impressionable age in the late '50s and early '60s when the folk music revival was popular.  Also, I grew up in Chicago and was "enriched" by youth concerts given by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.  So, I usually play folk music, particularly celtic, and classical music when I am working in the shop.

I am sure that others who have music on when they are in the shop will prefer everything from real head banging heavy metal (appropriate) to Gregorian chants to hymns to Frank Sinatra.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[Steven NY]

Good question!!

While I do enjoy many different musical genres, everything from DMB, Dropkick Murphy, Korn, Marilyn Manson, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Eagles, Metallica, Coldplay, U2 to name but a few of my favorite artists. I almost never listen to music in the Blacksmith Shop. Music distracts me because it has to be just right for me to enjoy it. This leads to me skipping songs to find just the right one for my current mood and situation instead of working. 

I listen to books almost exclusively while working. Since 2016 when I first got into audio books I have listened to over 4,975 hours worth of content that is 207 days spent listening. While my music needs to fit my mood, and activity, books are reliable entities (sometimes no more than white noise). The constant voice and the fact that I listen to all my books several times (familiarity) usually allows me to concentrate on my work while listening to a good story, I can also very easily let the sound of the voice fall into the background if I am really trying to concentrate on something. Although sometimes I need to skip back an hour or two when I realize I have not been paying attention. 

Have a great day,

W

[JHCC]

I'm a couple of decades younger than George, but I grew up in a household with similar musical tastes. I later married a woman with a VERY broad appreciation of lots of different genres of music, so that really adds to the mix.

When I'm smithing, I have some playlists on my phone that I listen to, each of which is usually all the albums from a single group (such as the Scottish folk bands Silly Wizard or Ossian) or a single album from one artist (Miles Davis's "Tutu" or Willy Nelson's "Red Headed Stranger"). Sometimes if I'm doing something particularly technical (like taking apart a piece of machinery), I'll pick a single track and put it on repeat for the entire session (e.g., Gil Scott-Heron's "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised").

The one time that I got together to forge with Daswulf (I was on a business trip to his area, just before they changed my territory), he had some internet radio station playing Scottish and Irish folk music. I think he was surprised that I knew all the words to quite a few of the songs!

[Latticino]

John,

Appears we have similar tastes in music as well.  Go figure.  Next time you are over I'll introduce you to my extensive collection of Irish/Scottish/Breton... music.  Silly Wizard, Ossian, Patrick Street, etc are regular visitors to my playlist.

[ThomasPowers]

The first thing they cancelled out here at the University was the Altan/Socks in the Frying Pan concert we had tickets to.

Now I was brought up in a house with a 1960's Hi-Fi nut/Jazz enthusiast and that is DEFINITELY NOT ON MY PLAYLIST.  My mother liked *old* country music and I tolerate that.

[CrazyGoatLady]

Used to, I didn't listen to music in the shop at all. And sometimes I still don't. But I have more lately and it's usually country music. Sometimes '80s rock and pop. I grew up on country, but was a heavy metal kid in the '80s, so occasionally I go there. And talk radio on occasion. 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

My taste in music runs the full gantlet, with the exception being Rap (can't stand it). Lately I've been listening to old Country, not the new cross over and Old Time music. One of my favorite bands, The Catgut and Horse Hair Band for old time. Because I'm a Vietnam Era vet, I like most of the music from that era, even the protest songs (too many to list). If I'm feeling mellow I'll listen to Celtic Women and Irish ballads. However I never listen to music while in the shop, if I did I wouldn't get anything done.

[Frosty]

I grew up listening to old country if music was on in the house, my folks choice. Well I listened to rock and roll in my room or with friends. I discovered I liked some of any kind of music but some made me cringe. There are very few albums I can listen all the way through. Simon and Garfunklel, Credence, and Hoyt Axton I can listen to more than a few at a sitting. In the shop I have something on but not to listen to really. Talk radio or classical, rock, country, Celtic, blues, news, jazz all works fine. I used to listen to books in the shop but got tired of having to listen to the same parts over and over. I'd be familiar with it all but not know what's going on it sort of spoiled the book.

I can't listen to rap, only one I've ever liked, "Bad Boys," from the TV show, "Cops" but to be honest I'm not sure it's really a rap, the group is singing. Reminds me of Beatnik beat poetry.

I used to listen to some of my folks old 78 rpm albums and really liked Ragtime and . . . drats can't think of it. Great dance music, from the 20s.

Frosty The Lucky.

[pnut]

19 hours ago, Irondragon Forge & Clay said:

Lately I've been listening to old Country, not the new cross over and Old Time music.

I heard a Buck Owens song yesterday at the Cracker Barrel when I picked my food up. Pleasant surprise.

Pnut

[ThomasPowers]

No Steeleye Span fans?   Like Frosty I more like particular songs more than albums or groups so I might have a mix of Queen, Bach's Werke fur Laute, Steeleye Span, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Mahler,  The Beatles, Holst's the Planets, Jethro Tull, etc.

[JHCC]

Never a Steeleye Span fan, although I very much enjoyed Martin Carthy's work in Brass Monkey back in the 80s. I really should check out their later work.

[Latticino]

I could go on for hours, as I have fairly eclectic tastes.  Big Steeleye Span fan, along with Pentangle, Clannad, Relativity, Battlefield Band, Lunasa, Capercaillie, Kornog, Afro-Celt, Cherish the Ladies, Chieftains..., not to mention those I've already listed and countless smaller groups and individual artists.  And that is just in one genre category.  When I left for undergrad I had (3) records to my name (vinyl, which gives you an idea of my age).  After 4 years I had close to 400 (I blame the Harvard COOP, work/study and summer internships).

[SLAG]

 

I like to play Javanese and Balinese gamelan music whilst hammering hot steel. The Kebyar gamelan music is especially suited for such activity.

Medieval polyphonic choral music works great for less vigorous efforts.

Miles Davis's  "Kinda blue"  is also a great c.d. 

SLAG.

[ThomasPowers]

Slag; I remember them practicing the gamelan, a group that worked in the building I was doing a telecommunications computer system install in in Jakarta in the mid 1990's.  I'm afraid my hammering would never be as melodic...

[SLAG]

Mr. Powers,

Hath said supra,

 "I remember them practicing the gamelan, a group that worked in the building I was doing a telecommunications computer system install in in Jakarta* in the mid 1990's.  I'm afraid my hammering would never be as melodic".

We need more personnel and instruments.

You tube has many selections, worthy of a listen.

The SLAG has many more in vinyl and tape and few c.d.' s.

You are most welcome to drop by, and listen,  the next time you visit your family in Arkansas.

I'll even cook a rijstaffel,  for the occasion!

incidentally the indonesian capital (Jakarta,  formerly  Batavia),  is slowly sinking into the ground

The government has decided to move the capital from the island of Java to the Island of Borneo,  ( aka Kalimantan), very soon.

The government opined that that island is closer to the  "heart" of the country.

Back to the forge.

Be well "Possums". And stay safe.

Let us keep the mortality rates low.

SLAG.

 

[ThomasPowers]

Selamat Pagi Slag;   It's sinking not so slowly for a variety of reasons: sea level rise, water pumping, sediment compression, etc.  The new location chosen may have more to do with the presence of mineral resources than with center of the country as Java has held the capital several times.  Of course the country is very much an amalgamation of many sub groups---and then there is Bali. 

Going from central New Mexico to NW Arkansas does not go past St Louis unless you do your navigation with a French Curve...However when we are on our way to Quad-State in western Ohio we do go through St Louis---usually during the concord grape harvest just to the west of there.  Perhaps we can meet up at Quad-State some time? I have had some very tasty rijstaffel in the Netherlands and a memorable goat satay while I was in Jakarta. I was there for a month on an emergency basis as the hardware installer I had been training to also do the software install had a medical downcheck the day before he was supposed to leave.  So I got asked to go and do both parts without training on the hardware part! What I remember about Kalimantan was there were about 3 pages of shots you were supposed to get before going there; I only needed a couple to go to Java.

[SLAG]

Mr. T. P.,

Your Concord grape side trip will put you close enough to south St. Louis,  (namely Affton),  for reasonable rendezvous.

How about sate Bumbu, (a beef sate that is to die for). Rawon,  (a beef stew that is not usually available in North America). I t requires keluek nuts as an essential ingredient).

Fear not SLAG and the marvelous Marg have bought some.*

And a suitable Indonesian curry. (you can choose between you and your spouse.).

Kalimantan,  (a.k.a.  Borneo) is a bit more rustic (& junglefied), and tends to harbor more microbial mischief. Hence the extra shots, all three pages worth.

Had I ended up in Java or Bali and before marriage,   I would have married a local and stayed. They needed biotechnology types, then

Folks, the food on those islands is one of the premier cuisines of the world. Singapore fried noodle was a staple at the emperor's table two centuries ago. At least one of their chefs was Malaysian.

Some of the best such cooking is to be had in Amsterdam, and Hague.

Yours,

SLAG.

*Fear not, we are incorrigible, collectors, pack rats and hoard the basic foodstuffs all year round. (we did not need the excuse of a virus to change habits)

Also selamat makan,  Y'all.