Any sort of dense reading I like to do in silence, but music is perfect for anything light like a magazine or forums. If it isn't so complex I'll lose my train of thought when I periodically stop to nod my head then it's fine. And I find that it's actually a great way to get into an album, because I'm someone who like a degree of familiarity in their music (why I expand my collection so slowly compared to most of you), so if I'm reading with it in the background then it can sink into my consciousness and I'll enjoy it more when I actively engage with it.
Just lying down with my ipod is probably the purest, most immersive form of enjoying music. When I get in the mood to just let it wash over me it's bliss, and I'll notice things new things about the song. Sometimes when I'm in a weird mood though I'll start to fixate on some obscure part of the music to the point where I have to change songs because I can't appreciate it.
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