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So I'm sitting here on a Saturday, working my patootie off to get ready for the show next weekend for which I am entirely ill-prepared (I blame TEDDY TALK and my addiction to it for that!,) sustaining nerve damage in my eardrums, since I'm listening to music SO loud (the kids are with their dad this weekend and the house is MINE!!!)...
... and I got to wondering:
What do you listen to, if anything, while you're bearmaking?
Personally, I'm as likely to listen to classical -- with a fondness for Mozart -- as I am to stick an alternative-rock CD into the ol' 'puter and launch The GooGooDolls, Green Day, or Evanescence into iTunes. I also rather enjoy Animal Planet -- especially Jeff Corwin; that boy is too cute and smart, and humble, and he wears his wedding band so proudly! -- playing in the background.
Today I'm reminiscing musically -- about a time that actually predates my consciousness, actually -- and listening to SOUNDS OF THE 70's. I was 4 - 14 during that decade. Musically, my "reminiscing years" are more "80's/early 90's"-oriented (high school; what I remember of college (I blame the frat parties); early adulthood and living large in SF and Europe; etc.) But I love my husband and he's an ex-hippie if ever there was one (I have photographic evidence of it!) So I got on a 70's bent today.
Am I the only person who thinks NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN by The Moody Blues is just THE prettiest, most lyrical song?
LuxembearsOOOH Yes, music is wonderful to work by. I listen to Enigma, Robert Miles ( AWESOME), The sound track to Lord of the Dance, and Phantom of the Opera. I also LOVE Bond, an all girl musical instrumental group with a beat. I too like Mozart and TSO (Trans Siberian Orchestra)..
Sometimes I am in the mood for 70's Disco or any kind of dance-beat music...then I salsa, like Shakira, to the kitchen for tea breaks :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:
Confession time: I just bought a CD from ebay called Lazy Town...it is music from a Nicholodian program...it is very cool...and has a great dance beat. I also just bought Shakira's Oral Fixation because I cannot get that song out of my head called , "Hips Don't Lie"/
I ALSO CAN'T GET THAT EBAY SONG OUT OF MY HEAD> Thanks SHelli...I LOVE that song.
Have a GREAT time at your show...better yet...have a sell out!
Mountain Dreamer BearsI love music of (almost) all kinds! There is nothing like music to change your mood and a great song with a good beat sure makes housework more tolerable! :dance:
Depending on my mood I listen to anything from 80's pop, classical (Mozart for your mind!) Native American Flute music, modern praise/worship, Celtic, Kenny G, current pop hits, spanish guitar, good ole 70's rock (love that CCR), some 50/60's stuff, even big band on rare occasions.
My husband says my taste in music is weird. Hmph! I prefer the term 'eclectic' thank you! 
Have a great time at the show Shelli! I'm sure your bears will knock everyone's socks off! 
Newcastle, OntarioI love music, but just can't work to the sound of it. I loove it in the car though and we do listen to a lot of classical, and Mozart's piano concertos are my absolute favourite. I also love the McGarrigle sisters, James Taylor, and a lot of the celtic groups like the Coors, the Rankins, the Cottars and a lot of the Canadian east coast music. When I'm working though I like to listen to the TV - I need to have someone talking as background noise. I love the guys voice on A&E on Cold Case files etc. He has a really soothing voice. I guess I'm a little odd.
Hugs,
Brenda
LuxembearsThere is nothing like music to change your mood and a great song with a good beat sure makes housework more tolerable! :dance:
:dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:
Patsy Lake BearsI love music ... I usually like to listen to Daniel O'Donnel, Secret Garden, and Gospel music while I am working ... but I love the 50/60s and alot of the 70s ... but then I love to listen to Dean Martin, Patsy Cline, Rosmary Clooney and Tony Bennett and then I love most Celtic music and some Classical ..... I could go on ... I guess I love music of most types ....not the head banging music or Rap ....
Shelli, what are you doing on the computer?? LOL!! Seriously, good luck with the show!!
When I work ... sometimes I like quiet, sometimes the TV (LOVE the History channel as background noise!) And yes, music! My taste is music if VERY eclectic. Rock of the 70's - 90's, soft rock, hard rock, metal, classical, jazz, and I have a favorite CD I got from the Renaissance Faire last year... harp music 
I think the only music I don't like is rap. I also have some "sound" CD's: Thunderstorms, Ocean & Rainforest... I love those too!
Posts: 8,574hmmm. depends on the mood....
Anything
, is always a hit
, ...yep i'm THAT old,
,
....love that guy, he's always fun...of course he would get a kick out of being thought of in the present tense.....
, when I'm in a particulararily Teutonic mood,
is always pleasant, and the steady rhythm is good for repetitive jobs, like stuffing.
Can't go wrong with
and i would love him....
And sometimes i suffer through all the
hmmmmm And sometimes I put the golden oldies on XM.....just to go skipping down memory lane
hugs
dilu
Past Time BearsAaaahhhhh . . . laid back, smooth, melancholy jazz . . . aaaaaahhhhh!
floating in warm water, staring up at a stary sky and listening to Nights UNDERWATER so that it was like being emersed in liquid music...and they say there is no magic left in the world.
Yes, that's it... EXACTLY!!! I don't even need the midnight or the stars or the floating. I get that feeling, somehow, just hearing this song.
<sigh>...................
Dolls N DreamsI love country, easy rock , I always have alittle background music playing here in the studio while I'm working. I don't think I could work if it was really quite.
I have to have noise when I'm sewing or I get far too intrspective. Usually I have the tv on as I'm sewing in the evenings - otherwise it's a rather eclectic mix of music.... REM, Badly Drawn Boy, The Killers, U2, Jack Johnson, Sarah Mclachlan, and a best of NZ music cd are my constant repeats. That and a fair helping of jazz and 50s crooners.
I was wondering this same question yesterday while playing Eminem: Curtain Call yesterday. I thought, "What would the TT'ers think if they new the kind of music I play when I work?" I ONLY play music while I work in my studio. TV is too distracting.....and I have ADD.
It depends on what I'm working on as to the type of music I play. I like ALL genres, from Billy Holiday to Tim McGraw to Pussy Cat Dolls to Aerosmith to Eminem and even Marilyn Manson.
When I'm drawing up new patterns or sewing bear parts, I listen to music with a driving beat or a rebellious message. When I'm sewing noses though I absolutely have to have easy listening like Chris Botti or Michael Buble or some type of classical piano.
Nights in White Satin reminds me of all the high school parties I went to where most everyone was stoned out of their minds. I was the only straight one of the bunch though. My dad was the head of The Department of Probation and Parole. I was what is these days called the "Designated Driver." Perhaps this is why, at 44, I listen to rebellious music when I sew. I'm living out my rebellious youth sewing teddy bears! How weird is that?
Warmest bear hugs, :hug:
Aleta
Newcastle, OntarioAleta, you have ADD - this is just to spooky cuz so do I! I was diagnosed at age 50. Maybe that's why we see so many things the same way. They do say if you put two ADDers in a room with 500 people, the two ADDers will find each other LOL! Do you use Ritalin - I have it and it does help. I find the music too distracting, so I like a calm, matter of fact, voice - hence, American Justice etc.
Hugs,
Brenda
I must be the odd one out...I can't listen to music while working....I either have total silence or I have the TV on while working and I watch old black and white films (well not watch exactly)...but don't ask why I can't listen to music while I work...perhaps it's because we listen to music all day in the salon and I can't wait to switch it off in the evenings...so I like a bit of peace.
(that's not to say I don't love music because I do...but not while I work)
But then I'm just boring sometimes!!!!!
Posts: 3,540:twisted: ....Marilyn Manson, Aleta??? eeek! 
Saw a movie video with the guy singing "Tainted Love", and I have to say, I've never been able to hear it again without thinking of that video....and it scared me half silly!!! Had nightmares for at least two nights afterwards... runs n hides...
When I'm working on bears they'll hear different things at different stages. Sometimes I simply canNOT settle on music and it gets me agitated, so I end up working in silence...well, not per se, I can then listen to the birds singing outside my window, or hear that annoying woodpecker drilling on my house... CUT THAT OUT!! 
Sometimes it will be instrumental (hammered dulcimer my FAV!!) or Enya. Othertimes Sting and the Police will rule out. Then there's Pink Floyd music....ahhhh, very soothing, gotta love those subliminales And at other times I'll be listening to all sorts of 80s or 70s music.
I don't have tv, haven't had for nigh on 15 years now, but we have a tv for watching movies. Sometimes I'll pop in a movie to have as background for listening to...in fact the bear in progress was 'listening' to John Wayne's "North to Alaska"
Apple Dumpling DesignsI LOVE music...and have it going almost all the time in some form or another. It's so relaxing or invigorating depending on what you need. My latest purchase was James Blunt. He sings "You're Beautiful". I loved that song and said to my housemate...that'll be a hit soon...yep...sure enough. I saw him or rather listened to him on Oprah the other day and he's just the cutest thing in a geeky kinda way. He kept referring to his songs as "miserable things"...(sad in a longing kind of way).
I listen to just about anything...except gangsta rap. I do have my limits.
Terries BearsI like music on when I am making bears but I usually just have the radio on an easy rock station and fairly quiet or else I will put on a musical. Chicago and My Fair Lady are my favorites. In the car I always play the country station!
Country BearsOoooh I love to listen to the old crooners when I'm 'creating' - Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Judy Garland etc, been doing that this pm in fact...... ....Fly me to the moon.....etc <ahhhh>
BUT, when I'm in the car......well that's different..... my most favourite band in the whole wide world is The Eagles, you know I think I've mentioned that before.......(Sue Ann, I'm seeing them LIVE in June - Xmas Present from my brother - ) I also love The Rasmus, Bon Jovi, KT Tunstall, Anastascia, ooooh in fact loads, I won't bore you with anymore!!!
Aleta, I loved 'Tainted Love' by Marilyn Manson, not sure I could make bears litening to him, could come out like bride of chuckie 
I need tranquil and easy and REEEELAAAAAXING when creating...........
Aleta, Brenda & WildCatDancer..... although I have not been diagnosed with ADD, I do take medicine for anxiety (which really helps!) but one of the side effects is "lack of concentration".... LOL! Boy have I noticed that a lot this past year (I started a year ago). I like to have some noise on so I don't think of something else to do LOL!
Yeah? I take medicine for anxiety too. Do you suppose it's fighting with my Welbutrin and thats why I want to sleep so much? ......
Well, that's another side effect of my anxiety meds.... sleepiness. I'm so thankful to my husband that I can work from home... cause I've finally learned not to fight the tiredness... and just go and lie down for 30 minutes. I feel like a new person after that!
Newcastle, OntarioAleta, Brenda, not too unusual, ADDer's are usually creative. Practically every artist I know has ADD to some extent, not saying ALL artists do, just the few I know. And that is because I am ADD and we are drawn together, lOL! I'd never heard that before, but it's true. Either it's our bright, inquiring look, or our ability to concentrate to the point you could drop a bomb! Bethany and I are the Mother/Daughter ADD poster family!
Yep, I'm aware of the high incidence of ADD among the art community - in fact it was another artisan at one of the craft shows I did that recommended I get tested, when I was having some problems. It was about the same time my older sister, and daughter were diagnosed. It's already really noticeable in our grandson. It's a great river running through our family! Once I really understood it well, I could go through the craft show and point to all the people I recognized as Adders! I have Ritalin and l certainly use it in times of stress and it's a huge help.
Judi and I were talking about our great love of the Texas Road House restaurants but the only thing I don't like is that they play LOUD music and it drives me crazy. Half of the time I end of doing a "doggie bag" back to the hotel, so I can eat without the music!
Hugs,
Brenda
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Rock on (GENTLY), Shelli Girl!
The Moody Blues' 'On the Threshold of a Dream" is right up there with all-time favorite #1 Albums!
Posts: 8,574You know how you can scroll down really fast and sometimes your cursor hits one of the buttons?
So by accident i got thrown in to Melanie Jayne's web site
and spent a lovely couple of minutes playing with the letters that you can make dance all over the screen. I loved it, the bird was curious and the gollies giggled....Thanks Melanie Jayne....
I can see going back for more amusement and amazement
hugs
dilu-the simple soul
Prince, Robert Cray, Albert Collins, John Lee Hooker, BB King, Jack Johnson, Loads of 70's disco, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Otis Reading, Barry White, Stevie Wonder, Van Morrison, Santana, Anastacia, Eurythmics, Scissor Sisters, Jamie Cullum, Gabrielle, Macy Gray, Sheryl Crow, Pink, Corinne Bailey Rae, Joss Stone, Robbie Williams, Damien Rice, James Blunt, Texas ... the list goes on and on and on!!
To summarise:
Blues - absolute all time favourite is Robert Cray.
Prince - have heaps of his work and have been playing his stuff since I was in my early twenties. I never tire of his genius!
60's - Aretha Franklin and Otis Reading especially - 'Chain chain chain' and 'Sitting on the dock of the bay' I will play those forever.
70's - disco fever! Love 'It's raining men' by the Weather Girls and 'Play that funky music' by Wild Cherry! Bop while you work music!
80's - Eurythmics - 'Sisters are doing it for themselves'!
90's - Macy Gray - WHAT a voice and stunning lyrics too. Can't resist her!
Current artists on replay - Corinne Bailey Rae and also Jack Johnson. Laid back and happy making. Love 'em!
I also love to put on DVD's while I work ... the old musicals like Roger & Hammersteins' 'The King and I' and 'South Pacific', then there's Audrey Hepburn's 'My Fair Lady' which is an all time passion of mine! More recent musical films I love are 'Chicago', 'Cats', 'Bugsy Malone'. Can I squeeze 'Bridget Jones Diary' in here too, I know it's not technically a musical but I love the sound track!! I've even been caught by my kids watching 'The Jungle Book' and 'The Aristocats, because I love the music!! :lol:
Hey Aleta, I'm with you on the Marily Manson thing!! Not in general, but specifically 'Tainted Love'. I first heard that track used at the end of a horror film I'd been to see in the cinema and as I'm a bit of a muppet for watching through the titles right to the end of a film, I was in an almost empty cinema in the dark while it blasted out on the surround sound! It made the hairs on the back on my neck stand up, it was so powerful! I didn't even know who had recorded the track - my only experience was listening to the original by Soft Cell back in the early 80's - the very next day I was on the internet trying to find out who it was who had updated the song in such an amazing way, then I took myself straight into the town to hunt down the recording!
