Since I was a student, listening to music while doing my homework, preparing for the exams or exercising always positively helped me.

And it still does. Even at work.

Not only I don't get distracted but it keeps me focused instead.

Listening to music makes me feel more productive. In fact, I am.

A little background

Apart from being a software engineer, I am also a musician. That's where my nickname maestros came from and why this blog is named after that.

I listen to, compose and play music since my early years at school.

I can't imagine wasting a day without music.

How music relates to my productivity

The short answer: Music sets the mood.

Having the right mood while doing something is crucial for me. From cooking a meal to developing a new feature. The food tastes better and the feature is implemented at a fast pace just like I had the code already set in my mind.

Besides the mood factor, in a noisy workplace music might be an escape. Distractions are reduced so it's just me and what I have to do.

Sometimes it's also an unofficial way of stating that I don't want to get interrupted at the moment because I'm in the middle of an important task.

Choosing the right music for the task

All these years I've ended up choosing certain music genres depending on the type of task I am about to start. Four master categories apply to me for each task:

• Requires Concentration
• Trivial
• Reading
• Physical Exercise

Let me breakdown these and explain what music applies to each one and why.

Requires Concentration

A task that requires concentration is what I'm doing right now. Writing this blog post.

Every time I sit down to write a new post it's the moment when I have to put my thoughts in a row and express them as good as I can.

Undoubtedly this also applies when I'm coding at work.

For tasks like these, I usually listen to instrumental or downtempo music because songs with lyrics tend to distract me a bit and the aggressive ones might make me more anxious instead of calm and focused.

Lately, I am pickier by not just listening to these genres but to specific artists or playlists I've made for this purpose.

Trivial

For me, a trivial -or boring- task is a repetitive and easy one. It could be either cooking, getting ready to go to work, managing the cables in my desk or driving.

These are the times I want to listen to my favorite songs. Songs I've linked memories with. It's time to get energized and set a good mood.

Is there any better than driving to the countryside while singing along with your favorite band on the radio ?

Reading

Reading a book is definitely a moment that lyrics won't help the situation here.

On the other hand, not listening to music at all makes it difficult for me to follow the book. There have been times when I've walked through dozens of pages and after a while realize that I don't remember what I've just read. Generally, reading books has been a struggle for me since I remember myself reading.

Over the years at some point, I discovered that listening to certain instrumental genres of music while reading helps me to concentrate. Classical, ambient and electronic make the top three of the list. They help me set the right mood and as it turns out they happen to be the perfect background music for reading a book.

Physical Exercise

First of all, I have to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of gyms. Having said that, I love outdoor cycling and taking long walks. Going to and returning from work on foot is something I do daily. Even on the rainy days.

While exercising I usually listen to intense or uptempo music which helps to find a good pace. It also feels like my brain is working at full speed keeping me focused and determined to achieve my goals each time.

Mapping music with good moments

It is a common pattern to map certain songs, albums or artists with a productive day.

It feels like a task was completed easily and the result was good due to the music I listened to during working on it. My mind instantly connects these dots.

These are the cases that I repetitively listen to a piece of music for a short period because it feels like it boosts my productivity.

A song is not enough

Combining my engineering and musician identities, I tend to listen to whole albums or even discography of my favorite artists. A song is not enough...

Why is that ?

Imagine a tech company. You love it or hate it judging their attitude and the overall contribution to the community. Not just a product or feature they published.

That's how it works for me with music.

I choose to listen to artists that evolve through the years and inspire me to do the same.

By listening to a full album while working on a demanding task feels like I'm working in parallel with the creation of an artist I respect. It motivates me and that's something I look for, especially while working on tasks that require being highly concentrated and very productive.

Closing note

My idea of writing this article was to express with words how music affects my productivity in a good way. There is a strong bond between music and me for years.

But I know that music doesn't work like this for everyone.

Some people get distracted by music and it doesn't help them at all.

Others find peace and concentration listening to different genres of music compared to the ones I described above.

Music is personal for each one of us and we interact with it in many different ways.

That's where the magic happens...