1 00:00:02,120 --> 00:00:06,120 Speaker 1: Today, Thanks for listening. On Wednesday, Bernard Fanning and Paul 2 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:10,160 Speaker 1: Dempsey were here. It was fantastic having a chat to them. 3 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:11,800 Speaker 1: I really really enjoyed it. Go back and have a 4 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: listen if you like. They've done a new album together 5 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:17,920 Speaker 1: and it was so nice to. 6 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 2: Just kind of catch up and also explore. 7 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:21,159 Speaker 1: What it is to be them and their take on 8 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: fatherhood and it was pretty cool. But then Paul them 9 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 1: he actually touched on something that was very dear to 10 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:29,480 Speaker 1: my heart, actually using music as a way to enhance 11 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: your day deliberately. 12 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 2: Now, I've used. 13 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:34,920 Speaker 1: Music as a tool for as long as I can remember. 14 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:36,919 Speaker 1: I use it to shift mood states. So I use 15 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 1: it to help me remember things. You use it to 16 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: help me concentrate. And it's that last one that's had 17 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:44,879 Speaker 1: me thinking quite a bit because in the last one 18 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: and a year or so, I've hit upon something that 19 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:50,159 Speaker 1: is just so powerful when it comes to writing and 20 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:54,639 Speaker 1: creation and creativity. I really wanted to share it with you, 21 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 1: but first up, I do need to play some ads, 22 00:00:57,160 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: so stick with me. 23 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:06,119 Speaker 2: I'll be back after the good day. Thanks so much 24 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 2: for listening. 25 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 1: This is better than yesterday, making it better every episode 26 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 1: since twenty thirteen. My name Joshia Ginsberg. I'm a podcaster. 27 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,119 Speaker 1: I'm a best selling author, I'm a TV host. I'm 28 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 1: an award winning documentary maker. Someone who watched a little 29 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 1: too much YouTube with his son the other day and 30 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 1: ended up with him at the hardware store at three 31 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: pm on a weekend afternoon buying bits of PVC pipes. 32 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: So here and I could make a hand pump. 33 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 2: And it's awesome. 34 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: It's really good, and I'm glad you're here. Thanks for 35 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 1: being a part of it. If someone told you to 36 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 1: be here, thank you. If you'd like to tell someone 37 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: to listen to this show because they might be interested, 38 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: thank you. There is a newsletter that you can get 39 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 1: on you can find it in the show notes. I'd 40 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: love to continue the conversation that we have here today. 41 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 1: I'm enjoying that now. Paul Dempsey and Bernard Fanning were 42 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: here the other day. Paul Dempsey is from Something for Kate. 43 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: Bernard Fanning, of course, from Powderfinger. The two of them 44 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: have made a record together. We talked about a lot 45 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: of stuff. But in middle of that conversation, well kind 46 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 1: of towards you, Paul Dempsey, all six foot seven of him, 47 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 1: mentioned how he likes to do the dishes, have a listen. 48 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:13,640 Speaker 3: There are evenings in our house where I will, like, 49 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 3: you know, spend ages preparing a really beautiful dinner for 50 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 3: Steph and the kids sit down, have a really nice 51 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 3: dinner and you know, lovely, and then as soon as 52 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 3: I've sort of cleared the table, they'll like go into 53 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 3: our room and like start watching something together or whatever, 54 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 3: while I spend two hours doing the dishes, closing the 55 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:37,960 Speaker 3: doors to the living room and cranking like Napalm Death 56 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 3: while I just do the dishes, and it's just like 57 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 3: I find it peaceful, it's clearing my head, it's and 58 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:55,799 Speaker 3: it's like a gurney to my brain. The kids might 59 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:57,799 Speaker 3: walk in to the room to get a glass of 60 00:02:57,840 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 3: milk or whatever, and they're just like, you know, dad's 61 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 3: listening to grind Call and they know why I'm doing it, 62 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 3: and you know, they think it's kind of funny or whatever. 63 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 1: Now I did get very excited by this that Paul 64 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:14,040 Speaker 1: was there listening to grindcore metal, listening to Napalm Death 65 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 1: as he cleaned his kitchen, because it is something that 66 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:18,880 Speaker 1: I do all the time. Most of my wife chagreines, 67 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 1: like how come. You want to put headphones in and 68 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 1: cut yourself off from us. I'm like, that's not what 69 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:23,799 Speaker 1: I'm doing, baby, I'm not cutting myself off from you. 70 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:25,559 Speaker 2: It helps me concentrate. 71 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: I've got very excited when Paul talked about this, because 72 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:30,680 Speaker 1: it's something that I have recently found has made a 73 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 1: huge difference not only in my writing, but also in 74 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 1: my creativity and also the volume of both, because I 75 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 1: write a lot, particularly since I'm not doing so much 76 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 1: TV right now. I'm writing thousands of words every day. 77 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:48,440 Speaker 1: I wrote this, I'm writing my next two books. I 78 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 1: write my Men's health column. I write all the time, 79 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 1: I write screenplays, I'm writing TV. I'm writing all the time. 80 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 1: But my brain can get very excited and very distracted 81 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 1: and just simply wants to dart all over the shop, 82 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: and I. 83 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 2: Leak brain energy. 84 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 1: On a side thought over there about the locking mechanisms 85 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 1: on school lockers, the barrel ones, and how easy they 86 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: were to pick. As I'm trying to write something over 87 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,480 Speaker 1: hit and it got quite difficult. And I've experimented over 88 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 1: time with different techniques, various timings, timers and things, and 89 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 1: a sheet of paper at the top of whatever I'm 90 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: writing to write the other stuff I'm distracted by on 91 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,680 Speaker 1: and follow that up in my break. But recently I've 92 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:33,039 Speaker 1: come upon something that absolutely puts me in a state 93 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:36,360 Speaker 1: of creation and a state of concentration that I will 94 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 1: just flood forth with words. 95 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 2: And it's good too, not just running porridge. Right. 96 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: I can get so focused, I can forget to eat 97 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:51,479 Speaker 1: or drink or wee. And it's got to do with music. 98 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 1: But it's possibly not the kind of music that everybody likes. 99 00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 1: I have discovered that immense atmospheric drone metal, such as 100 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:08,039 Speaker 1: the brilliant band out of Seattle, Washington called Sun There's 101 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:08,880 Speaker 1: an O and. 102 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:11,520 Speaker 2: Three brackets after it, but I don't know how to pronounce. 103 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 1: That part there's two ends them, or the kind of 104 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:19,800 Speaker 1: dier down tuned sludge metal band Conan which you're a 105 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 1: band that comes out of Liverpool. That stuff, for me, 106 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 1: is absolutely perfect for engaging those bits of my brain 107 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:30,599 Speaker 1: that would otherwise be pulling my concentration away and instead 108 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 1: allowing me to focus in a truly immense way, in 109 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:37,240 Speaker 1: a way that I've never really been able to do previously. 110 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:40,360 Speaker 1: And no, it's not just the ADHD meds. I promise 111 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:43,720 Speaker 1: you all right, But what does what does this actually 112 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:45,839 Speaker 1: sound like? If you walk down on me in my 113 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:47,600 Speaker 1: office here, which I tend to only do it when 114 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:49,159 Speaker 1: everyone's out of the house because I listened to it 115 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 1: with our headphones. 116 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 2: When I'm at home. 117 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 1: For me, it sounds like unrecognizable vocals are important. So 118 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:58,120 Speaker 1: for me, the vocals are usually screamed. I cannot make 119 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:01,599 Speaker 1: out the words even when I listen close. We very 120 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:06,160 Speaker 1: very distorted guitars, very low down, very slow tempo songs 121 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:09,680 Speaker 1: that go for eleven minutes have no discernible time signature, 122 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:11,480 Speaker 1: sometimes because as I can't even count. 123 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:14,599 Speaker 2: That is the sound of perfect concentration for me. 124 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: But why, why is this? What is going on in 125 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 1: my brain to make this happen? Well, Thankfully we live 126 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 1: in a world where the renowned neuroscientist and author Dan 127 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 1: Leverton also lives. He's a person who specializes in music 128 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:33,800 Speaker 1: cognition and has done heaps of work around this, largely 129 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:36,640 Speaker 1: covered in two rather excellent books, This is Your Brain, 130 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:39,919 Speaker 1: on Music and the World in six Songs, How the 131 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:42,800 Speaker 1: musical brain created human Nature. He's very clever and he 132 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 1: does a lot of research in this space. But Dan 133 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 1: describes a thing called the cognitive bubble, and that music 134 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:53,240 Speaker 1: can act as creating a cognitive bubble around you. So 135 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 1: when I'm listening to music, even as I'm concentrating on 136 00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 1: something completely different, is able to focus more because I've 137 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:07,480 Speaker 1: created what is a predictable auditory environment. Bits of my 138 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:09,560 Speaker 1: brain instead of jumping all over the place wondering what 139 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 1: that sound is or what's going on over there. Instead 140 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 1: they're busy predicting the patterns in the music that beats, 141 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: the key changes, the core changes, et cetera, the rhythm, 142 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 1: the predictability of the music. It apparently helps synchronize my 143 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 1: brain activity and helps me focus a whole lot more. 144 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 2: And it's also really useful. 145 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:30,760 Speaker 1: To mask the various distracting noises that I otherwise hear. 146 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 1: I've recently been working in an open office because there's 147 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:37,239 Speaker 1: a jackhammer for minutes outside my window. 148 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 2: So what I mean, there's open office. 149 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:41,760 Speaker 1: Some really lovely people that allowed me to kind of 150 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 1: sit in a corner desk at their place. There's about 151 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 1: forty people in the room, all chatting, So I just 152 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 1: put headphones on and it just get stuff done right. 153 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 1: I can't listen to complex musical arrangements or vocals that 154 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 1: I can actually make out because they get too caught 155 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:58,640 Speaker 1: up in the words and get sidetracked. So the music 156 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:02,240 Speaker 1: what it does is it it activates the regions of 157 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 1: my brain. It almost amplifies their ability to pay attention, 158 00:08:07,760 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 1: to remember things, and to stay motivated to keep working. 159 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 2: Because there's a significant mood. 160 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 1: Factor when it comes to music and when it comes 161 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:19,960 Speaker 1: to concentration. As I've mentioned, I've used music to help 162 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:22,000 Speaker 1: me with mood shifting for a real long time. I 163 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:25,720 Speaker 1: remember I was on holiday with my wife in Fiji, 164 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 1: on a little island. 165 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:28,040 Speaker 2: I was still not doing very well. 166 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:30,400 Speaker 1: I was riddled with just the horrors of climate change 167 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 1: and sea level or I was on this beautiful, otherwise glorious, pure, 168 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:36,439 Speaker 1: peerless tropical day, and I. 169 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:37,080 Speaker 2: Was having a holiday. 170 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 1: But I was so sick of my brain hijacking this moment, 171 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:42,839 Speaker 1: and I was just so sick of how my body 172 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 1: felt and just being in this kind of anxiety. So 173 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 1: I just turned on the bluetooth speaker and I dialed 174 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:50,080 Speaker 1: up the top ten hits of motown and I started 175 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 1: to just sing a dance. 176 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:55,320 Speaker 2: Like I was in the four Tops, and I was 177 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:56,680 Speaker 2: doing all the moods and everything. 178 00:08:57,080 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 1: Three minutes and thirty one seconds later, I felt a 179 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 1: whole lot better. When I ride Wolfgang to school in 180 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:04,679 Speaker 1: the morning, same bluetooths bigger, I think, sits in the 181 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 1: bottle cage on the bike and we sing songs there 182 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:09,679 Speaker 1: and we sing songs back. Sometimes we'll listen to Call 183 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:12,160 Speaker 1: Me Maybe by Caylie Rae Jepson. Sometimes we listen to 184 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:15,640 Speaker 1: the Bus Stop by the Fat Back Band. Sometimes he 185 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:19,120 Speaker 1: wants to listen to Twilight of the thunder God by Amornomuth. 186 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 2: The last three days. Always wanted to listen to his 187 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:23,200 Speaker 2: Robots by craft Work. 188 00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 1: But it's really cool. So if you couple that music 189 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:28,560 Speaker 1: with being on the back of the bike, the win 190 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:31,440 Speaker 1: in his face. It's the ultimate gear shift. Pun intended 191 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:34,200 Speaker 1: for any kid that doesn't want to go to school 192 00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 1: or daycare or on the other side, is a bit 193 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:38,240 Speaker 1: cooked at the end of the day and it's just 194 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:40,120 Speaker 1: kind of a bit loose. It just gets him in 195 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:42,720 Speaker 1: a completely different zone by the time we get home. 196 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 1: But how does the mood enhancement help me concentrate? There's 197 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:49,839 Speaker 1: some fascinating research around that, and there's also a bit 198 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:51,800 Speaker 1: of a method on how to do this. If you 199 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:52,839 Speaker 1: want to give it a shot, and I'll tell you 200 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:53,840 Speaker 1: about that in just a moment. 201 00:09:59,440 --> 00:09:59,839 Speaker 2: Thanks for this. 202 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:02,480 Speaker 1: The other day, when Paul Dempsey was here, he opened 203 00:10:02,520 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 1: up about listening to Napalm Death while doing his dishes, 204 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:07,400 Speaker 1: and I got to thinking, what's going on in our 205 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 1: heads when we listen to music while we're concentrating. What 206 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 1: is happening when I listen to this particular dark, grim, 207 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:19,880 Speaker 1: distorted scream vocal kind of stuff while I write, and well, well, 208 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: like most things, eats all about dopamine, the molecule of more. 209 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:28,160 Speaker 1: It's the title of book, which I really loved, But yeah, dopamine. 210 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:31,880 Speaker 1: There's a pleasurable experience that actually comes from listening to 211 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:34,319 Speaker 1: what it is that you love to listen to. And 212 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:37,679 Speaker 1: when I'm listening to these enormous rifts and these guitars 213 00:10:37,679 --> 00:10:40,719 Speaker 1: that sound like a city block getting demolished, drums that 214 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 1: sound like bowlders inside an industrial tumblr, the kind of 215 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 1: toughest shit white man overboat feeling I get when I 216 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:49,760 Speaker 1: know that the here comes the big riff three one 217 00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:53,000 Speaker 1: gurgle like, even though it's quite a low volume, when 218 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 1: I'm listening to it, there's a part of my brain 219 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 1: that just loves that, and there's a little dopamine release 220 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 1: when the riff kicks in. Just to think of the 221 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:03,959 Speaker 1: I don't know, the first eight seconds of Born to 222 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:08,400 Speaker 1: Run from Bruce Springstein right the moment we're superstyling by 223 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:11,679 Speaker 1: grub Armada comes back in after the break. Nothing really 224 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:15,720 Speaker 1: feels as good as those things. So my brain is 225 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 1: quietly hearing moment after moment after moment of this, and 226 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:21,360 Speaker 1: there's little dopamine hits that I'm getting not only lift 227 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 1: my mood, but they sustain my concentration because look, if 228 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:28,079 Speaker 1: there's anything I know, it's that we just want more dopamine. 229 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:31,679 Speaker 1: So we stay engaged, we stay motivated, because we can 230 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:33,600 Speaker 1: only get this thing if we keep doing this thing 231 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 1: that we're doing, which is for me writing. 232 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 2: But whatever works for you is important. You listen to you. 233 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:42,199 Speaker 1: I think my wife ordered she listened to I think 234 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:44,520 Speaker 1: that was a DJ called Nick Skits or something like that. 235 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:47,199 Speaker 1: At least these CDs, which are just like fuck. I 236 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:48,520 Speaker 1: could have never listened to them. I was one hundred 237 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:49,800 Speaker 1: and eighty be bats a minute. But she loved it, 238 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:51,960 Speaker 1: and that's what got her through high school and UNI. 239 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 1: But for me, there's something about this kind of immense 240 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 1: atmospheric metal played by bearded men with distortion pedals powered 241 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:03,960 Speaker 1: by em It just gives me this two hundred times, 242 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 1: you know, science lab microscope snapping into focus on a slide, 243 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 1: ability to concentrate. It might be something very different for you, 244 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:14,439 Speaker 1: depending on what I'm doing, though, I will also listen 245 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:17,120 Speaker 1: to different stuff. Working in the backyard the other day 246 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:20,040 Speaker 1: with Wolfgang, we listened to a I put a whole 247 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 1: bunch of stuff together with Lalo Schiffra and the film composer. 248 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:24,560 Speaker 1: He made the Mission Impossible theme song, but he's got 249 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:27,080 Speaker 1: like there's something about the boss and over. I can't 250 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:30,040 Speaker 1: speak Portuguese, so the lyrics don't really make any sense 251 00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 1: to me, but there's something about the strings, the beats. 252 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:34,440 Speaker 1: It really helped wolf and I stay chill and stay 253 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:36,800 Speaker 1: calm and not get agitated. While we were out in 254 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:39,160 Speaker 1: the backyard, we were sanding and we were soaring, and 255 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:40,960 Speaker 1: we were fixing this little stool that he and I 256 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:42,800 Speaker 1: made so that he considered the piano with at his 257 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:45,920 Speaker 1: feet dangling down again put his feet on this little stool. 258 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: That's a whole other adventure. I think the kid might 259 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: just have his dad's year. I don't know yet. When 260 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:53,080 Speaker 1: we're out there, here's a little toy hammer. It's a 261 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 1: real hammer, but it's small person's size, so it can 262 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:58,800 Speaker 1: really break stuff. But he was tapping it on the 263 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:01,439 Speaker 1: wood sawhorsepping on the piece of wood we were cutting, 264 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:03,440 Speaker 1: and tapping it on another piece of wood, and it's 265 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:05,320 Speaker 1: experimenting and he was doing it in time. I'm like, 266 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:08,840 Speaker 1: look at that wolf that you're playing. You're experimenting with 267 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 1: different noises that are happening. And he just looked at 268 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:14,040 Speaker 1: me and he said, Dad, the whole world makes a sound. 269 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 2: Oh my god, I love it. I love this guy. 270 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:20,680 Speaker 1: So if you'd like to do your dishes like pull 271 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:23,640 Speaker 1: dempse or see what work feels like when you're listening 272 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:25,960 Speaker 1: to the sound of your subwarfers tearing themselves apart at 273 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:28,760 Speaker 1: twenty one hurtz, this is what I would suggest if 274 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 1: you want to give this a go. There's a way 275 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,199 Speaker 1: to do it, which is kind of what Dan Looad 276 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:34,200 Speaker 1: of Time kind of writes about. 277 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:37,000 Speaker 2: There's a way to do it. It's loosely written on his method. 278 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:41,000 Speaker 1: So take the time to find out what your auditory 279 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:43,920 Speaker 1: bubble is, what is your optimal kind of cognitive bubble? 280 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:46,319 Speaker 1: That you're trying to create. So you experiment with different 281 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:49,560 Speaker 1: types of music, different genres, different tempos. What is it 282 00:13:49,559 --> 00:13:52,120 Speaker 1: that can create that bubble feeling for you? And bear 283 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:54,440 Speaker 1: in mind there's all kinds of stuff you maybe haven't 284 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:59,000 Speaker 1: considered this instrumental music, there's ambient soundscapes, there's nature, sounds 285 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: of lyrics can be to distracting. As I mentioned, I 286 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:03,360 Speaker 1: like to listen sometimes to stuff that's not even in English, 287 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:05,680 Speaker 1: so I don't get distracted by the lyrics. Start with 288 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 1: music that's familiar to you. Gradually explore new things and 289 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:14,640 Speaker 1: make different playlists, different playlists for whatever mood you're starting 290 00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 1: in and whatever task you're trying to complete. I just 291 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:20,000 Speaker 1: I mentioned just then, I've Boston over One for the woodwork, 292 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 1: do metal for the writing. I have something that works 293 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:24,800 Speaker 1: for you. What's the emotional tone that you want to 294 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:27,400 Speaker 1: evoke and the nature of what you're working on, Like, 295 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 1: I wouldn't recommend I've spoken about it a whole podcast 296 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:32,680 Speaker 1: about using music as a time machine. I would not 297 00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:34,800 Speaker 1: use the song that you had your first kiss to 298 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:37,120 Speaker 1: for this task, right because now all you're going to 299 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:38,760 Speaker 1: be thinking about is when you play it. Spin the 300 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:41,600 Speaker 1: bottle and patch someone right. You want something that isn't 301 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:43,520 Speaker 1: going to bring up lots of memories that going to 302 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:47,080 Speaker 1: be distracting. You want music that is not just kind 303 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:50,000 Speaker 1: of background filler, but something that engages you in a way, 304 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 1: but not so much that you're called away from whatever. 305 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:54,440 Speaker 2: Is you're trying to attend to. 306 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:58,280 Speaker 1: So yeah, I like to make playlists, but distorted writing 307 00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:00,000 Speaker 1: does what it says in the box. It's ten hours, 308 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 1: thirty two minutes of just dirge. It's magnificent. I have 309 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:07,280 Speaker 1: another one called solo Minimalist Piano, which is very much 310 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 1: the same. It's kind of Michael Mehman, Steve Reichian kind 311 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:12,960 Speaker 1: of minimalist. Just what the sound of one piano playing. 312 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:14,600 Speaker 2: It goes on and on and on. It's great. 313 00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:17,760 Speaker 1: It's helpful to have these things ready to go. Like 314 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:19,560 Speaker 1: I said, if you're in an office, wear some headphones. 315 00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 1: Not everyone wants to hear the song a cleaved head 316 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:25,240 Speaker 1: no longer plots while they're in an excels breadsheet. 317 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:27,400 Speaker 2: I do, but that's just me. 318 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 1: And try to be open to sounds that you might 319 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:32,360 Speaker 1: not even consider, and sounds you might not even think 320 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:35,800 Speaker 1: a music. So there's you can get brown noise, white noise, 321 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:41,360 Speaker 1: pink noise. Binaural beats are also interesting nature sounds. Whatever 322 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:45,520 Speaker 1: it takes to give you that kind of consistent, predictable 323 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:50,760 Speaker 1: auditory environment, that's the thing that we're looking for. And 324 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:53,280 Speaker 1: the last thing I would say is make it a habit. 325 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:57,520 Speaker 1: Just like I don't know, the smell of a perfume 326 00:15:57,600 --> 00:15:59,680 Speaker 1: can remind you of an ex lover and your heart 327 00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:03,320 Speaker 1: goes right. If you make this a habit and use 328 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 1: a particular kind or style or album for the kind 329 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 1: of task you're doing, it's much easier because your brain 330 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:13,640 Speaker 1: starts to associate that music with different types of focus, 331 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:16,400 Speaker 1: different types at work, and I've found it. 332 00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 2: Easier and easier to get into this. 333 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 1: Super focused mindset, want to get into a task and 334 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:25,640 Speaker 1: it's great. I'd love to know how it works out 335 00:16:25,640 --> 00:16:28,160 Speaker 1: for you. As I mentioned, there's a newsletter which you 336 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 1: can get on. There's a link in the show notes. 337 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:32,120 Speaker 1: There's comments under each one, so get on there. Let 338 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: me know what works for you. Put a link to 339 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:35,880 Speaker 1: your playlist. I'll put a link to my playlist up 340 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:39,400 Speaker 1: there for you. And I'd love to literally hear what 341 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:41,000 Speaker 1: it is that you listen to when you're in these 342 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:44,680 Speaker 1: concentration spaces, it'd be super dupicul Thank you so much 343 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:47,440 Speaker 1: for listening. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope it's 344 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 1: brought you value. If it did, i'd ask please kindly 345 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:52,000 Speaker 1: just tell someone else about the show. 346 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:54,840 Speaker 2: If not, do you, you do you? That's fine. 347 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:56,400 Speaker 1: I'm just collad you made it. Thanks for being a 348 00:16:56,440 --> 00:16:58,920 Speaker 1: part of it. I'll be back here on Monday. Here 349 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 1: are the people that help me make this show. Read 350 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:04,679 Speaker 1: by not a real person but an AI bot. It 351 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 1: speaks differently to me. 352 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:10,600 Speaker 2: This episode was brought to you by Andy Maher on 353 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:15,040 Speaker 2: audio post production, Beck Sayed on video post production, Toe 354 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:19,120 Speaker 2: Hyder on music. Our producer is Bree Steel, and Osher's 355 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:23,480 Speaker 2: executive function assistant is Monica Chapman. For every episode ever. 356 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:25,960 Speaker 3: To get on the mailing list or to get in touch, 357 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:29,800 Speaker 3: head to Osheginsburg dot com.