YOUR QUESTION:

10/28/2019 4:10:21 Nick Christiaan

I've just completed my tax return whilst listening to Dept. of Entomology. I wanna thank you for making the experience the least painful it has ever been.
It struck me that there is a utility in creating music for the accompaniment of mundane tasks. If I was in any position to be a patron of the arts, I'd commission you Trevor.
Do you think music has to be actively listened to/engaged with? How do you feel about 'background' music? I do believe Robert Fripp uses noise cancelilng headphones when he sits in cafes.

MY ANSWER:

I have no problem with background music, although there are times when I prefer silence (aural fatigue is something I come across frequently living in NYC and touring with groups). However, I think music can serve many purposes. I certainly champion active listening, study and analysis. But, like you, I also put music on to keep me company and as a sort of pain killer. In fact, as I sit here in a hotel room answering questions I am accompanied by both the sound of rain and a foreign film in a language I don’t understand at low volume on the TV. I’m not even paying attention to it but it has a soothing quality (it’s not an action film).
I often wear earplugs on airplanes and sometimes in the subway. And sometimes the car radio at low volume when no one is listening to it can drive me nuts. But I also put on music to clean the house to.
Thanks for your patronage fantasy. I would accept it. I’ve considered creating a long drone based piece for accompanying meditation or massages. Sound is useful.