Is listening to music at work calming or distracting? I will have to say, "Listening to music while at work can be distracting to not only the employee, but if you're interviewing people, it can also distract them too." Many times in my line of work the music would blare out so loud that I could not hear the response the person I was interviewing would give to me. I've caught myself asking a question over several times because the person I've been talking to would ask me to repeat the question because they could not hear me for the music. Do you know how aggravating this can be to the one who is doing an interview?
This loud aggravating noise would come about because another employee loved the song and decided to blare it out through out the office and turn everyone's head. Many employees cannot keep their fingers off the music dial and they will regardless what they are told change the channel or up the sound and when they find the manager that told them to leave the music as it is set is gone...gee, the music gets so loud it could burst a person's eardrumb.
It is also a deterrent while speaking on the telephone or while trying to concentrate on an important matter you are trying to solve. Also there is always a fight going on between employees about the type of music they want to have playing, one wants country, another rap, another pop, etc., there's never a happy medium and the channel is being changed constantly.
Some people love music playing in the background but others become disturbed and irritated. Some people cannot concentrate while there is any noise going on around their particular work area. Most times as I would hear the music in the background, it would automatically give me a nagging headache and sometimes the music would get on my nerves so bad I could have screamed.
I believe this is the preference of the person involved and the job they are doing. I believe each employee should have a voice in any office as to whether music affects their performance or not. I feel all should be in agreement before music is played throughout the office. Now, if people want to bring in their own radio and listen to it at their own desk, I believe they should be able to do so if the music is never up loud enough for another office person to hear it.
It is also distrubing when the music is not properly on the station and the music blares in and out and emits loud static scratchy sounds throughout an office. This is terrible! With all of these factors mention, for me, cut off the music and let me have peace and quiet in my working surroundings.