
When Music Is Violence - pmcpinto
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/07/04/when-music-is-violence
======
kkoomi
On a tangential note, my neighbor plays the same music daily outside for 1.5
hours and it actually infuriates me (musical torture). I end up needing to
turn on my AC and some ambient noise videos to block it out.

Have tried the civil route, but it's not working and it's not illegal to be a
rude neighbor. Anyone have any insights on how best to handle this, other than
moving out?

~~~
chris_7
This is my experience in startup offices as well - a small clique of people
(or one person) controlling "office music", which everyone is forced to listen
to. It's so hard for me to get work done. I really don't get why companies do
this, it's basically throwing away productivity ($$$) for an image of "team-
ness".

~~~
erickhill
I would recommend noise-cancelling headphones - a nice pair that are
comfortable and won't hurt your ears for extended use.

My office uses internet radio at minimal noise levels just so the environment
doesn't feel eerily quiet or like a crypt. But half the folks wear headphones
(I am one of them - I can barely hear the radio). Books on "tape", music,
podcasts, silence or white noise - whatever floats your boat. They are easy
enough to remove if you need to chat with someone.

~~~
chris_7
Noise cancelling only really works on ambient noise, so unless your coworkers
are queuing up "Music for Airports", it won't really help. It also can't
create _silence_ , and will still damage your hearing over time. The best
solution is for the people that want noise to just use headphones!

~~~
jdietrich
Headphones with good passive attenuation will block any kind of noise. They
are essentially industrial ear defenders that also happen to be excellent
headphones. Headphones with Bose-style active noise cancellation are an
ineffective gimmick.

Headphones of this type typically provide around 30dB of attenuation, enough
to reduce loud music to a gentle murmur. I highly recommend them to anyone who
works in an open-plan office.

[http://europe.beyerdynamic.com/shop/dt-770-m.html](http://europe.beyerdynamic.com/shop/dt-770-m.html)

[http://en-uk.sennheiser.com/hd-280-pro](http://en-
uk.sennheiser.com/hd-280-pro)

[http://www.extremeheadphones.com/passive-noise-isolation-
hea...](http://www.extremeheadphones.com/passive-noise-isolation-hearing-
protection-headphones/studio-products/ex-29-headphones/)

~~~
coldtea
> _Headphones with Bose-style active noise cancellation are an ineffective
> gimmick._

They are actually very effective, both for airplane style noise, but also for
street noise, people talking in an office, and music playing.

Haven't tried Bose themselves, but active noise cancellation on Parrot Zik's
works well, and all reviews say Bose's is even better.

Plus, if you also play your own music on top, you can't really hear anything
-- to the point of it being dangerous if you're walking in the street,
crossing roads, etc.

------
kefka
Well, if you're in for a DIY solution, This seems to work well:
[http://hackaday.com/2012/07/03/noise-pollution-tit-for-
tat-u...](http://hackaday.com/2012/07/03/noise-pollution-tit-for-tat-uses-the-
baha-boys-as-a-weapon/)

Who let the Dogs out? The noisy neighbour tripping the acoustical switch did!

~~~
WalterSear
I'm constantly amused by family-friendly pop culture references to that song,
considering how incredibly offensive it is :)

~~~
jungletek
How so? It's a song about douchey guys in the club, being shitty to women.

------
Mz
_The songs conveyed threatening, sometimes mocking messages: Alice Cooper’s
“No More Mr. Nice Guy,” AC /DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long.”_

The second song listed is an ode to a woman and her sexual prowess. How is
this threatening or mocking?

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jvoorhis
See also [https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/sonic-
warfare](https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/sonic-warfare).

------
johnchristopher
I recently got hired (2 months ago) and a co-worker is listening to
metal/death-metal/folk-metal/the-elfic-choir-of-the-army-of-darkness all day
long. Except when it's gossip time. There are four of us in 25m² room.

It's slowly starting to bother me.

------
dbcurtis
Scots bagpipers claim prior art.

