Originally Posted by Cat4Lifer

Well, I don't think the alert part conflicts with I what wrote or with what I think the other fellow was intimating. But when you say that music keeps you focused-- on what exactly are you focusing? And how does the music help you focus on that task?...

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

I pretty much wear headphones 7 days a week 52 weeks a year, when cycling, working at my mentally intense job, reading the newspaper, walking along anywhere, and falling asleep at night. I listen to music, and even more to talk shows. I find that listening to external sources (of my own choosing) helps me focus on the task at hand. So to me, the background sounds affect me in a not only a meaningful, but IMO a beneficial way. I may not fully catch the content of the external sound, but without such, the silence is deafening and distracting.