ADD or Audiophile?


I’ve loved listening to music since a very young age, starting with my parents Grundig console tube stereo which they brought to the states when the army transferred my dad back to the US. I bought my first stereo components as a young teen and would sit in my dark basement bedroom listening to Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Steely Dan…..In college, I’d sit and listen to music for hours.  Fast forward 40+ years…I now have a nice system. I look forward to weekends when i can listen to music in peace and quiet. What I’ve noticed is i can no longer just sit and enjoy music. I usually read (a lot of times Audiogon Discussion Forum) while listening. When a particular song comes on or a beautiful passage comes up, I focus on the beauty of the music and artistry of the musicians creating it, then its back to mental muli-tasking again. 
I suspect its some form of ADD, but I’d like to think that doesn’t disqualify me as an Audiophile. 
Anyone else share this “affliction?”

ezstreams

Showing 1 response by snilf

Funny; I read "ADD" as "Analog/Digital/Digital," and expected this post to be about older vs. newer recording technologies.

Don't believe in "multi-tasking." Research proves that it isn't really possible, that the brain can properly focus on only one task at a time. That doesn't mean one can't pat one's head while rubbing one's tummy, of course. Yes, it's possible to "read" while "listening," especially if the reading is audio reviews and the listening is undemanding (from two-chord pop to Philip Glass minimalism; I'm not implying a value judgment here). But if either the reading or the music is at all challenging, I will concentrate on one or the other.

So, speaking for myself, I don't believe in the whole concept of "background music." If there's music playing, I pay attention to it—in a restaurant, in a movie, in Trader Joe's. I'm pretty sure it's nearly impossible for me to be in the presence of music and not listen to it. Music I like used in a movie actually disengages me from the movie; I find myself not wanting to go back to the movie when the edited bit of music stops, that I'd rather hear the whole song (or whatever). I will put on something with a beat for a workout, sometimes; usually, though, even workouts are better if it's quiet and I can concentrate on the movement.

So, no, I'm not "afflicted" with the ADD the OP complains about. I can sit in the sweet spot and just listen for hours; the time flies by. I'll fall asleep in front of the TV at ten o'clock (I'm 68 after all), but if I'm listening to music instead, I'm reluctant to pack it in at midnight. And I never fall asleep while listening. In fact, the only time I turn music on in the car is for long drives when I need to stay awake.