Musical Visuals And Different Ways Of Experiencing Music
 

Does anybody ever intentionally alter their atmosphere while listening to music, rather than just having it on in the background? I've always kind of done it the other way around, music is usually my foreground, or at least one of the main centers of my attention.

When I was a kid, I would close my eyes to listen to music a lot. Because it produced a sort of closed-eye visual experience for me, kind of putting me aloft into my own world for a bit. This was earliest done I think before I was even 10, predominately during classical recordings in my elementary school.

The weird thing is, that I continued this practice, and still pretty much do today, almost as an instinct. I never, actually questioned it before. The only other people I've ever really met that did this were either other musicians, and/or people in an altered state of consciousness.

I've always liked sound to be an immersive experience.

Does anybody else drop themselves out into sound like this? And if so, is it something you do cognitively, or more nearly instinctually like you don't really realize that's what you're doing?

If the kids will be quiet for two damn minutes, I will turn on the faerie lights in the evening and sit with the missus, sip a whiskey, and spin some vinyl. But those opportunities are few and far between.

When I go for walks I tend to use my music as a sort of soundtrack for myself. I don't know why but it makes me appreciate the music more when I envision it and myself within a film-like context, probably because I appreciate the placing of music within a lot of my favorite pictures.

When I go for a run, especially a long one, often I can hear music in my head like an ear worm; but much louder.

I like music to be in the foreground, but I feel like an idiot sitting still staring in front of me, so I often try to do something with my hands that requires no mental concentration while listening to music, like cooking. Or even playing patience. I run without music, but sometimes I play punk music in my head to keep up the energy. Listening with eyes closed is a great idea by the way, although I've never done it.

I like putting on random videos on mute and listening to music, sometimes it really syncs up nicely....or like art visuals

I think that the music usually steers me, more than me trying to set a mood to enjoy a specific song or album.