What do you listen to while engraving?

[Rick]

The, "Are you are a musician?" thread made me wonder what others listen to while working in the shop. I thrive on Bluegrass music but also thoroughly enjoy classical and classic rock. My favorite artists include, but are not limited to:
The Lonesome River Band
Alison Krause & Union Station
Dan Tyminski
J.D. Crowe and the New South

 

[LRB]

Conservative talk radio. Rush Limbaugh. Glenn Beck. For music, 50's, 60's, and other oldies rock and roll.

 

[Sam]

I'm bluegrasser too, and I applaud your list of favorites. I also listen to news radio and public radio.

Abigail and I just bought iPods, and this has expanded the way we can enjoy music. These are no ordinary MP3 players! We can rip CD's to the iPods which hold literally thousands of songs, and can play the iPods through any FM radio - car stereo or boombox - with a small wireless FM transmitter. Our entire music collections can now go anywhere we go. Is that awesome?

In addition to music, I've been downloading dozens of podcasts on photography and Mac computers. Podcasts are simply radio-like broadcasts which are downloadable to your computer or iPod. Pssst...stay tuned for the world's first hand engraving audio podcast!

And just when I think it can't get any better, I can play photo slideshows on my iPod as well as videos! I've ripped my sharpening DVD to my ipod and can easily output it to a TV when I teach.

The thrill for me is not just what I listen to in my studio, but HOW I listen to it. iPods have been around for a few years now, and Abby and I are really happy to be on board with them.

~Sam

 

[FANCYGUN]

I actually enjoy the silence and listen to nothing other than the tapping of my engraving tool......sort of like therapy

 

[Rick]

I was going to purchase a sattelite radio so I could listen to bluegrass all the time, but I've settled with the 5 cd disc changer for now. I listen to NPR as well. Rick

 

[Peter E]

I think there was a thread a short wile back that was on this topic.

Glad you and Abigail found the joys of MP3 Sam. As I had mentioned, my MP3 player is outdated by todays advances in electronics, but it still serves me well holding about 115 songs in a device not much larger than a Bic cigarette lighter. It runs for about 15+ hours on one AAA battery.

My preference is 60's, 70's, 80's rock, blues and jazz.

Peter

 

[Travis]

my xm is locked on 14 bluegrass in the shop as well as the truck. still can't play my banjo though. Sam, i have an old masterton 1954 rb250. if you get close to NC , maybe we can pick a little

 

[Sam]

Travis: I've seriously considered satellite radio. The thought of uninterupted bluegrass sounds great. My son got it for music, but said he listens to the comedy channel most of the time.

Let's see...a '54 mastertone would be a bowtie with shovel peghead. If you need tabs I can help you Travis.
~Sam

 

[Travis]

xm

Sam, i have xm because i travel from GEORGIA TO North Carolina every week and dont have to worry about loosing the signal. Yep it's a bowtie and i would love to have some tabs. mostly for the intermediate level

 

[Sam]

Travis: Here's a link to my secret banjo student page which has slow and fast audio samples of various songs I've tabbed. You're welcome to any of the tabs (tell me which ones you want). You'll need TabLedit's free viewer to view them. I haven't updated the page in a long time, and probably have 3 or 4 times as many tabs as listed. ~Sam

 

[Yves Halliburton]

I listen to mostly 60's, 70's and 80's music. All varieties. I do only listen to XM radio as I can pick exactly what I want and no advertising. If you are listening for long period of times I think it is a way to go.

 

[Don Cowles]

Bluegrass, Barbershop, and Limbaugh.

 

[banjo_art]

I listen to bluegrass music (low volume) when engraving most of the time. Sometimes when I'm trying to learn the words to a new song, I'll just put it on repeat and after an hour or two, I've got them memorized.

I took a peek at Sam's banjo page and it looks like his father is playing a guitar banjo and his grandfather is playing a mandolin banjo in one of the old pictures. Must have been a talented family.

--Art

 

[KSnyder]

I like Evanescence, Sarah McLaughlin, older 70's rock & roll and classical.
NO rap Crap.
Kent

 

[Travis]

tab

Thanks so much Sam .soon as i get home i will look at these

 

[AllanFink1960]

A small note for those of you learning right-brain theory

Words are processed by your left brain, and your right brain processes drawing skills.

Listening to lyrics will put your left brain in charge, and make it a bit more difficult to draw. You may do better to stick to instrumental music, especially when first learning to draw (and getting your right brain to behave). Some people with a very strong right brain won't need to heed this advice, but for people who are just learning I would turn the audio off altogether -- Especially if you are listening to talk shows.

Incidently, clock faces are also symbols processed by your left brain, so its good to not have any clocks or watches near by...instead, set up a timer to ring when you need to stop at a certain time of the day.

Doing these two things will really improve your learning curve.

Allan

 

[Ray Cover]

Allan,

That is a very good point. People do not beleive it but when you have both developed you can switch back and forth at will. WHen you are paying attention there is almost a physical feel to the difference. Folks have looked at me like I had too many holes in my head when I say that but it can be felt.

I think way too many folks discount and ignor right brain techniques but they really do work. I used Betty Edwards program when teaching art and it always produced results for students.

Anyone wanting to develop their right brain skills should heed your advice.

Ray

 

[Billzach]

I don,t recommend what i do while i,m carving coins, but i,ve a 21'' tv above my engraving table and watch it while i carve coins..you may ask.. how do you carve coins and watch tv, i never really thought about it until i started reading this thread..i quess i carve a min. and watch tv a min, don,t really know..Am i the only one that does this? sometimes i,ll carve as many as 7 or 8 coins a week so it much not be slowing me down..

 

[Ray Cover]

Dang Bill!

If your cutting them that fast I am going to have to come down and look over your shoulder sometime.

Ray

 

[Billzach]

Ray, i,ve carved about 800 coins since 1997, so sometimes i ,m find myself removing the field or sanding on a coin while watching the tv...it,s not that i like to watch tv so much, it,s just something to do while i,m carving..Carving coins started as a hobby, but now it,s part of my income and isn,t as exciting as it once was, but i still enjoy carving..