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Music around the house all the time or silence?

(115 Posts)
hamster58 Mon 03-May-21 12:16:44

My husband-and most people it seems-always has some form of music on in the background at home. I hate this. It’s not because I hate all music, it’s because for me, there are times when I enjoy listening to music but at home, if I’m doing chores or relaxing/reading, I find it irritating and distracting. I never turn it off while he’s around as that’s not fair, but am I very odd? What do others think??….

knspol Tue 04-May-21 11:44:51

I'm another silence lover in the main. If I do put on the radio then I prefer to listen to talking rather than music. DH on the other hand likes music 24/7 - ugh!

Ailidh Tue 04-May-21 11:46:07

I have the television on all the time. I just like the aural wallpaper, I don't watch it all the time, and I'm not lonely.

sazz1 Tue 04-May-21 11:47:05

Always have TV on all the time as I like to hear other people as a background when I'm alone

Rosina Tue 04-May-21 11:48:25

I do wonder why it is necessary to have some form of noise all the time - I can understand tinnitus sufferers at is must be hell, but peace and quiet are so rare, and so lovely. I stood listening to birdsong the other day - that and the sound of the wind in the trees was so relaxing that I could have slept on my feet. The younger members of the family seem to need music all the time, from waking to sleeping. I love music and like many posters I play it in the kitchen when I am cooking, or ironing , and enjoy all types, but peace wins hands down for me.

tiredoldwoman Tue 04-May-21 11:49:20

I sleep better if I have the telly on in the bedroom . It goes off after 3 hours , I think !

4allweknow Tue 04-May-21 11:49:20

I need the radio on, not necessarily music, to distract me from the racket of noisy children the childminder next door basically herds out into her garden most days. I love it when it rains - a little bit of peace.

JANH Tue 04-May-21 11:51:01

Silence for me too unless I am cleaning then I have music on, the cleaning seems to go faster with me trying to singalong. I loathe the adverts on the tv, the noise level always goes up and so it gets muted. Also why do drivers have to share their noise and why is it always loud bass. Moan over, going now.

grandtanteJE65 Tue 04-May-21 11:53:43

Like you I enjoy silence, but like you I am married to a man who doesn't. Compromise is that I have a room of my own, and he keeps the volume fairly low.

This works for us.

Foxyferret Tue 04-May-21 11:54:10

I don’t like radio, if I want music I play my own. Too much chatter, adverts and people who talk for the sake of it. I like quiet too but if I’m reading, noise does not distract me at all. I am one of those people so absorbed in the story that any noise/music does not register. I like music when I’m doing jobs or ironing, it seems to make the chore go faster for some reason. Having said all that, I do like quiet also. Times when you just need to chill, especially in the garden.

Moggycuddler Tue 04-May-21 11:55:56

Silence apart from when we actually sit down to listen to an album, or to watch tv. Never music as background.

harrigran Tue 04-May-21 11:56:07

Absolute silence, never listen to the radio.

Daffydilly Tue 04-May-21 11:59:13

Silence for me.

icanhandthemback Tue 04-May-21 12:00:42

I'd sooner music than the News Channel which is on all day in our house. As soon as my DH leaves the house, the TV is off and a lovely silence follows.

HannahLoisLuke Tue 04-May-21 12:05:15

I prefer speech radio if there’s an interesting discussion or drama. I also listen to magazine type phone in programmes like The Jeremy Vine Show and early mornings I like Chris Evans, he does play a lot of music but also chatters on about anything and everything and is endlessly optimistic, so a good start to the day.
Other times I like a bit of silence just to take in the sounds around me, birds singing, neighbours in the garden etc.
I live alone so I get to choose ?

HannahLoisLuke Tue 04-May-21 12:08:03

tiredoldwoman

I sleep better if I have the telly on in the bedroom . It goes off after 3 hours , I think !

I keep the radio on low all night, either 5live or the World Service. Couldn’t have the tv on as the light from the screen would be too disturbing.

jaylucy Tue 04-May-21 12:16:42

If I'm reading it's silence but otherwise, I have the tv or something on as for the biggest part of the day I am on my own.
Maybe you should buy him some earpods? That way he can listen to whatever he wants and you won't be disturbed.
I only really get annoyed if the background noise isn't my choice - such as taste in music. My ex used to play one particular artist all the time, non stop, as soon as he walked in the door - and I couldn't stand that particular artist!
This was before headphones/earpods were in general use and despite me asking him to play something else, I was ignored - stage one of him hoping that I would get fed up enough and leave I think - I did eventually!

grandMattie Tue 04-May-21 12:53:26

Rosina

I do wonder why it is necessary to have some form of noise all the time - I can understand tinnitus sufferers at is must be hell, but peace and quiet are so rare, and so lovely. I stood listening to birdsong the other day - that and the sound of the wind in the trees was so relaxing that I could have slept on my feet. The younger members of the family seem to need music all the time, from waking to sleeping. I love music and like many posters I play it in the kitchen when I am cooking, or ironing , and enjoy all types, but peace wins hands down for me.

Actually, I have tinnitus and find music helps disguise the sound. I listen to classical music only. I wouldn’t know how popular music would affect me.

Lewie Tue 04-May-21 12:59:33

I'm another who likes silence. If I hear a tune I tend to adopt it as an 'earworm' which then drives me mad. In any case, I usually have my earbuds in listening to an audio book.

Pattie47 Tue 04-May-21 13:01:24

I couldn't agree more hamster58. Welcome to my world! I like music but agree it depends on my mood to determine what type of music I want to listen to. My husband always plays it SO loudly! I can`t read unless I have silence.... I am SO thankful for our summerhouse....erected during lockdown. I would highly recommend one as an escape! smile

Treetops05 Tue 04-May-21 13:02:29

My husband is the same I'm afraid including a radio next to the bed! It drives me crazy, the noise during the day is the TV, on at 8am and off about 11.30pm with no breaks. I have learnt after 35 years to tune it out, but spend as much time in my quiet garden as possible

Ilovedragonflies Tue 04-May-21 13:07:18

Apart from when I'm teaching, I have the TV on for background human noise. I live alone and work with children, hearing other adults speaking is oddly comforting.

JMitch Tue 04-May-21 13:10:40

our path to joy, in this respect, has been individual iPads and blue tooth headphones, which enables us to have music/R4/silence, as we wish. We also listen together, but the flexibility has been a life saver. I would thoroughly recommend giving it a try

Horatia Tue 04-May-21 13:11:57

Silence mostly, sometimes music but not often. My husband says he cant hear if there is background music on TV shows and plays.

Leavesden Tue 04-May-21 13:12:06

I have to have some background radio or television all the time, as in silence all I hear is my tinnitus which drives me mad.

janipans Tue 04-May-21 13:12:46

My DH has TV on from the moment he gets up to the moment he goes to bed. He skips through programmes to find something vaguely of interest or goes to sleep during programmes. It drives me insane! I end up staying up late just so I can have some peace and quiet before I go to bed. I complain and he does switch off earlier when he remembers, but it's still on all day!