Music while working

I am one of those individuals that enjoys having music playing while I am working most of the time. Yes, I do enjoy the times where there isn't any noise around me when I am focusing on something that needs a lot of focus.

In my home office area I am very lucky and have a small bookshelf stereo system and it is wonderful. It means that I can listen to music and not always the radio which I do find distracting quite often. For me hearing the voices talking on the radio distracts me from what I am trying to write.

Now the music I listen too are various MP3's that are on a usb drive that I can plug into my stereo. I am also once of those that puts the music on random and then I don't listen to the same singer for an entire alarm or more. It is great to have a variety but there are times I get frustrated with the music as the system seems to like the same order after the first day unless I unplug and replug in the usb drive.

I don't have the music on very loud when I am writing but at least it is something in the background that I do enjoy. I am finding that when I like the music I can get more writing done quicker by doing this. I have also found that I can escape all the things going on around me when I have my music playing.

I know that there are people that can't work with any music on and I understand that. Of course, everyone also have the music that they enjoy listening to and the volume that they have the music on. Working from home most of the times means that I can have my music with me and I can enjoy it at the volume that I enjoy. There are times when I turn it up and then times when I turn it down depending on my own personal mood and the other sounds that I am hearing around me.

Do you listen to music while you work? If so think about why you enjoy the music and is it just background sound or do you hear the actual music.