# Classical at work



## SamGuss (Apr 14, 2008)

I'm a manager with several employees at my place of employment. Usually I am there a couple hours ahead of them to get things setup, etc. and I will usually bring in some classical to play while I do so. Usually I have turned it off by the time more than a couple people arrive for work.

Well over the past couple of weeks word has spread that "Sam listens to some pretty cool sounding classical". So, on Friday night I told the room I was going to put some classical on for a few in the middle of the shift and I quote "so deal with it for a few if this isn't your thing". I put on Mahler Symphony No. 5 and let it rip, jumping around slightly to get through softer sections of various movements since through our volume you just really couldn't hear it and do your job. At the end when I was putting it up, most of the room requested that we add this to our weekly routine of a night or two for me to put on "the cool classical like that" and the couple of employees who didn't care for it were still cool with the idea since we do listen to a bit of everything at work.

So, tonight I played two pieces for them and again they enjoyed it: Dvorak #9 (of course) and Dvorak Cello Concerto. So, here I am with about 15 employees at the moment, most (12) who now have come to know me as "the classical music guy who plays some cool music".

Thinking of hitting them with Shostakovich in a couple of days and perhaps some Sibelius. Anyway, part of me suspects it's a thing to make the boss happy, but some have taken time to ask deliberate questions about classical and the pieces I have selected and some genuine interest has been shown. I'm stoked about it.


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## marval (Oct 29, 2007)

Well done SamGuss

That is a good way to introduce classical music to other people. And you get to enjoy it too. I always seem to work for people who prefer modern rubbish.

Local radio churning out pop so to speak. Am unemployed at the moment, so can listen to what I like for a change.


Margaret


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## MatthewSchwartz (Jun 9, 2008)

Great job! I've been *attempting* the same thing with my brother. Unfortunately he's a little more hostile towards classical music than your coworkers. -_-


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## marie (May 20, 2008)

Interesting. I am usually playing music in my office. I have a small room all by myself so there is no problem of conflicting with others regarding music preferences. The best music for me to enhance my productivity include calm music like Bach, esp. boys choir, and many of the violin pieces played by Midori because she is very serious and engaged. Alluring opera pieces can be a bit distracting. I also find it difficult to focus if I play pop music that I could hear the lyrics about love and so forth.

I wonder if people often change their preferences. I feel that I have always had some types of music that I have really loved, which is perhaps like the core of my taste. But I also become interested in music when my friends or anyone that I like are enjoying. Then some remain in me while others just pass away after trying once or twice.


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## SamGuss (Apr 14, 2008)

A highlight at work today. One of my employees started a conversation about the "super hero music" we had listened to the other day and asked me for some recommendations that she could persue on her own. I wrote down some stuff for her to check out on YouTube and some things I figured she would like - which included of course a couple of things she had heard the other night.

Interesting enough at the end of the shift tonight, a couple other employees requested I bring in some new "cool classical" to share tomorrow night.

It's kind of cool. 

Sam


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## opus67 (Jan 30, 2007)

WTG, Sam!


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## Kezza (May 13, 2008)

I play all kinds of different classical at work. And everyone hates me for it. Most of the people I work with are between 13 and 15 yrs old so Thy REALLY hate it. A lot of the older guys hate it too which is weird. But seeing as I'm their boss I tell them to deal with it. And if they want me to be nice to them they shut up 

But I always just put on what I feel like at the time. Which could be anything.


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## Rondo (Jul 11, 2007)

I recall calling a company for customer service once and, while on hold, hearing the _Star Wars_ soundtrack! No joke. Best "on hold" music I've ever heard (not to put all the big Baroque fans down).


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## ChamberNut (Jan 30, 2007)

That's terrific Sam!  

I listen to classical at work, but with headphones. All the people I work with are into other music besides classical. 

Their loss.


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## marie (May 20, 2008)

Kezza said:


> I play all kinds of different classical at work. And everyone hates me for it. Most of the people I work with are between 13 and 15 yrs old so Thy REALLY hate it. A lot of the older guys hate it too which is weird. But seeing as I'm their boss I tell them to deal with it. And if they want me to be nice to them they shut up


Haha! That's funny.

When I once worked at a cafe, I had a boss who hated classical music. She always listened to the radio that played old pop music (what is called _Enka_ in Japanese) at a large volume. But when the same radio played a soft piece of classical music at exactly the same volume, she would say,"Oh, how noisy!," would become really annoyed and irritated, and would shut off the radio. I found it really interesting to learn that the perception of "noisiness" is not necessarily depending on the actual volume.


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## Kezza (May 13, 2008)

Yes it is interesting a piece of music can be senseless racket to someone else.
I can only put up with pop for so long before it drives me crazy.


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## Guest (Jun 21, 2008)

Why force *your *music on other people just because you like it?? I often walk out of shops that insist on playing* their* kind of music all over the store,


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## Artemis (Dec 8, 2007)

I don't like any kind of music at work. I can just about tolerate very low volume music in stores, restaurants etc. If it's loud, I walk out immediately.


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## Kezza (May 13, 2008)

One guy at work always says "You better not let the kids that work here listen to this. They might become educated"

I lol'd


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## BuddhaBandit (Dec 31, 2007)

I play a lot of classical at my summer job, but tend to alternate classical discs with old rock 'n' roll, country, and soul discs. Some of my coworkers have been latching on to my Ravel collection- *Ma Mère l'Oye* and *Gaspard de la Nuit* are big hits. Unfortunately, they protest when I put on *The Well-Tempered Clavier*, which is one of my favorite works.


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## Pianoforte (Jul 27, 2007)

I work in IT sales and it can get very stressful at times but I always have my MP3 player to hand for lunchtime. Its full of piano sonatas and concertos. Its great stress relief and good for education too as it has several tracks on it I'm learning.

You need a laptop I can get you a laptop!


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## SamGuss (Apr 14, 2008)

Pianoforte said:


> I work in IT sales and it can get very stressful at times but I always have my MP3 player to hand for lunchtime. Its full of piano sonatas and concertos. Its great stress relief and good for education too as it has several tracks on it I'm learning.
> 
> You need a laptop I can get you a laptop!


My other half works on an IT help desk and does the same thing with her MP3 player.

Sam


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## Pianoforte (Jul 27, 2007)

Until last december I worked on the IT helpdesk for Barclaycard supporting the entire Barclays/barclaycard ICT network. I was there for a week before we were told within 12 months the support would be outsourced to India! Luckily a friend created a sales role for me in January at a local company. Most of the workforce are old school friends!


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## Guest (Jul 2, 2008)

Pianoforte said:


> Until last december I worked on the IT helpdesk for Barclaycard supporting the entire Barclays/barclaycard ICT network. I was there for a week before we were told within 12 months the support would be outsourced to India! Luckily a friend created a sales role for me in January at a local company. Most of the workforce are old school friends!


95% of support back up in NZ is from overseas, India etc, the big problem is that they do not have the dialect skills required to be easily understood by the many English speaking regions. I understand that the USA is now using this type of support and there seems to be quite a backlash.


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## Celloman (Sep 30, 2006)

When I'm acting as shift manager at the Subway restaurant where I work, I bring in my CD player and turn on classical. I offer to let my coworkers play their own rock/pop CDs, but in the hopeful chance that they haven't brought any, I get to listen to classical all night long! And it's my hope that the customers will love it, as well. After all, not every fast food restaurant you walk into will have classical music playing at the time! It's a great feeling, watching the expressions on the customers' faces when they hear the music. Priceless.


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## YsayeOp.27#6 (Dec 7, 2007)

Andante said:


> 95% of support back up in NZ is from overseas, India etc, the big problem is that they do not have the dialect skills required to be easily understood by the many English speaking regions. I understand that the USA is now using this type of support and there seems to be quite a backlash.


The 2007 working study "How Many U.S. Jobs May be Offshorable?" by economist Alan Blinder (former Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System) states at least 22% of the jobs in USA can be outsourced. However, high oil price renders transportation costs an important barrier against offshoring manufactured products (not services), helping to save, to some point, american localization.


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## pucheng (Apr 20, 2009)

It's a nice idea sam.
I am still studying right now.
I prefer listening to classical music while reading my lessons.
It makes me feel good and its effective for me.
______________________________________
I love classical music


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## handlebar (Mar 19, 2009)

I either stream KBPS or WGBH on my computer or listen to my 25G worth of mp3's on my hard drive.
Either way I keep music flowing most of the day with small breaks from music to listen to the BBC or a London talk radio station,1152 AM.

Jim


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