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Distracting

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Whether or not music is calming or disruptive while performing job duties depends largely on the worker's personality and/or the ability to multi-task. For instance, some surgeons performing a delicate procedure that can mean life or death to the patient who lies before them will listen to recorded music as they tie off that artery or remove a diseased kidney. This is because the doctor in question finds music soothing. Others will prefer complete silence; save for verbally communicating with other members of the surgical team. Any background noise; whether it is music, outside traffic, or a sudden clap of thunder will interfere with the practitioner's utmost concentration in completing the task at hand. In this instance, one surgeon is not necessarily more proficient than the other, for they simply utilize two vastly different ways of repairing whatever ails the patient.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:off ice:office" /

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A truck driver may wish to spend his or her long hours on the road listening to a favorite radio station or CD collection while another may spend this time reflecting in thought. To the latter of these individuals, music becomes a distraction. Again, this does not make one truck driver better than the other.

One could argue that simply listening to music is not a job requirement and therefore not a task, but this isn't entirely true, for if a familiar tune comes on, a worker; regardless of occupation, will be drawn to it, especially if it is popular and catchy. This in turn will distract the individual whether it is perceived or not. Sometimes, even the type of music will affect a person's concentration. Someone assembling a sensitive computer chip in a factory would be less likely to adequately perform this duty in a timely fashion if Metallica's Master of Puppets was cranking on the stereo than; say, a concerto by Mozart. Conversely, some people thrive on music at all times, regardless of genre or even volume.

On a personal level, there are those of us who don't even like to hold a conversation with music filling the background; let alone attempt to work. Quite simply, we find music; or any other noise for that matter, a distraction. We are among a probable minority of individuals who embrace relative silence as we go about our business of work. We are certainly not less intelligent or one-dimensional, but rather focus our complete attention to one activity at a time. Some may label our kind as boring, and that is their right.

We are all different, and in regard to this issue, there is no right or wrong. Some of us simply prefer to assemble our thoughts and ideas in relative silence.

Learn more about this author, Patrick Sills.
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