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Music In Open Workshops (Not Dedicated Courses Labs)


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Personally I find music is to important a part of my creative process when I create pieces. At the Creative Art Center I mainly use for labs I've had  teachers that don't mind music and some that do in their  open workshop labs. I understand a class dedicated to a specific topic should not have music unless the teacher approves. An open workshop tho is sort of a grey area imo. I will respect a teacher's need not to let music in their labs . I do explain to them I disagree with my reasoning. I honestly believe in an open lab music is a social lubricant as well as an actual aid in making pieces as long as the volume is at a respectful level not to be intrusive. Certainly I can use earphoned devices but have found they will not allow me to interact with my lab-mates as easily as a low volume recording playing. Any opinions appreciated.

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My observation: not many people have the courage to change the music once it is set unless alone. Some people also like to work in silence.

 

I like listening to music by the album. When other people are around I switch to a more random playlist. These days I have complete control :-)

 

 

You cannot make everyone in a group of equal-level individuals happy.
 

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I prefer the soft music in the background or silence, my senior year in college the music was quite chaotic.  One girl in the studio area found out she was part Indian and started playing haunting Indian pipe music all the time.  The guy across from me was making clay musical instruments so there was various sounds from him.  Then there would be two or three radios tuned to various stations.  Lucky for me I was a early riser and was working in my area by 8 am and most students didn't show up until 2 or 3.  My son got out of school at 3 so it was time for me to go anyways.   Denice

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Open studios are common areas, and everyone needs to share nicely. Music while making is such a subjective experience, and everyone involved needs to agree on what's played, how loud, and what gets vetoed for selections. If you need tunes (and many do), I really do think you need to rely on earbuds in order to respect the noise/sound requirements of those around you. Separate your making and your interacting. It helps you be clear on what's your voice, and what isn't.

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I vote for earbuds too. Everybody has different tastes in music or noise level, and many people won't feel comfortable speaking up if they don't like somthing. The most considerate approach is to not put others in a potentially uncomfortable situation.

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I prefer to listen to music while working. I don't mind what it is playing in the community setting. I see a lot of people with earbuds. I however will listen to throat singing a hang drum or classic rock in the confines of my studio. And if those two people won't stop talking about he said she said oh my god can you believe it; I mute my hearing aids and turn on my streamer and link to phone and choose one of my playlists and let the good times roll.

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I enjoy the social factor in an open studio where quiet conversation complements the working environment. You can't please everyone's taste in music in a studio anyway and it can be very disturbing to many people especially if the volume is not agreeable. I am not against earbuds but then each individual is in their own cocoon and not interacting with the others. For many people this is an ideal comfortable situation but they miss out on opportunities to watch and learn from other potters and possibly share what they know as well.

 

I listen to my music at home. I need to have that background when I work but in the college I like the studio environment. I hear people talking, slamming clay, wheels humming, the creaking of the slab roller and even the water running in the sink. Its exhilarating!

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When I first began teaching I was distressed when students were silent, not talking with each other. It made me feel that my classes weren't interested in what others were doing, studying, etc. I then read "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" and learned that the creative side of our brains aren't the verbal side and when students were really engaged in their work they tended to be non-verbal, or silent. That revalation was especially gratifying for me-my students were engaged!

 

For this same reason I discouraged music in the studio, at least broadcast to everyone. If you want to listen go ahead, but use ear buds.

 

My 2 cents.

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I used to allow music in my classroom when I was not demonstrating or doing administrative duties. Rule was, it got set once, and that was it. No changing around stations. Over the years I found that the music usually ended up on a station that played contemporary rock or jazz. Volume levels were kept low but high enough to allow folks at the back of room to hear. If there was a problem, next day the radio disappeared for a while. It actually became a crowd control thing in some classes. . . music to soothe the savage beast. :rolleyes:  

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I need music daily but it's my studio
On open studio is a crap shoot

The tunes would need to be low volume and shuffle across a large interest otherwise it will not appeal to everyone which is a tall order
I suggest a vote on it and what the tuns should be

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When I was in high school and college, we usually had music at a reasonable volume, and was either decided on by a class consensus, or whatever the instructor wanted.

 

When I started teaching, I would do the same, though I'd usually pick the station.  My reasoning for that being, that I had to tolerate the music all day, and there is only so much Pop music I can stand...

 

Now, with nearly every device imaginable capable of playing music, I do let the students listen to their own.  I have my own playing throughout the class, but if they aren't a fan, they can listen on their own device, but with ear buds only.  They can't use the speaker on the device, and they can't use the headphones as speakers.  I don't want a battle of clashing music playing throughout the classroom.

 

It does work well, for the most part, though I have had to go up to students and ask them, why I can hear their earbuds, which are in their ears.  I tell them they will have hearing aids, by the time they are thirty.

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