Does Music Mix with the Workplace?

One morning awhile back, I was getting ready for work and belting out one of my favorite songs, Etta James’s “At Last,” at full volume. Suddenly, there was a frantic knock on the bathroom door.

When I opened it, my then-fiance, now-husband was in my face, saying, “Christine, the neighbors called! Their cat is dead!”

“Oh my,” I said. “What happened?”

“Well,” he said with a sly smile, “he heard you singing and flung himself against the wall repeatedly.”

OK, so Simon Cowell would probably call my caterwauling “simply dreadful.” But like those really horrendous “American Idol” contestants we all saw get rejected, I still love to sing. And I do it almost everywhere -- along with the car radio, in the shower, while I’m cooking dinner. A friend once called me the human jukebox.

I really love having music around me -- whether I’m creating it or listening to it. But once I’m in the office, I find music distracting. I once had to have a talk with a coworker who played the radio in her cube daily, even though the wall between us was mere fabric and I could hear every word of every song. My cube neighbor didn’t take my protestations well, but I had no choice: I just couldn’t think with it on.

A lot of other people, Norma included, like listening to music during the workday. What about you? Does music help you work, or is it just a distraction?

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