Is it actually rude to listen to music during life drawing

[ZenzybaR]

Kk. So during our old life drawing classes we used to have this older gentleman and he was pretty cool.
Some of us used to have our headphones on while we drew and if our teacher needed to say something we just take them out. He doesn't stalk around the room endlessly anyway so it's not like we miss what he says.

So we got this new lady and all of a sudden she's like "No Headphones in while drawing!"
The teachers paused just slightly and agreed with her. I think she once said it was because he may say something.

Now it's always no headphones and during the longer poses I have to say that i get a little bothered. I constantly have music playing in my head and it's a bit distracting, so music playing nullifies it. (weird i know)

[TL;DR:] But is it actually bad manners, disrespectful, or just rude to listen to music privately while drawing.
I wouldn't mind if it was quiet and for everyone, but is that wrong too??
But is thi

[dpaint]

If its a class its the teachers call. In my workshops and classes I don't allow earbuds or headphones or even phones. Its distracting and I think rude, if your taking a class you should be listening to what the teacher says. I'm talking about process and philosophy 90% of the time in my classes. I put on music in the back ground but its usually classical music which seems to offend the least amount of people or few people complain because they sound ignorant saying they don't like it.

[invinciblewombat]

yeah, it's totally the teachers call in a class. that being said i've never seen a studio style class where you weren't allowed to listen to music when you were working and not being lectured.

[Flashback]

It might piss off the model.

[JeffX99]

Part of the problem is obvious...missing important info or observations from the instructor. The other part is less obvious but I think more important...you are in a social situation. To isolate yourself in a social situation is rude. It's a bit less rude to do so on the subway maybe, but in a class you should be present and part of the community. I play music in my drawing classes and have always enjoyed it on other classes when it is played.

[Kamber Parrk]

* * *

So we got this new lady and all of a sudden she's like "No Headphones in while drawing!"
The teachers paused just slightly and agreed with her. I think she once said it was because he may say something.

Now it's always no headphones and during the longer poses I have to say that i get a little bothered. I constantly have music playing in my head and it's a bit distracting, so music playing nullifies it. (weird i know)

[TL;DR:] But is it actually bad manners, disrespectful, or just rude to listen to music privately while drawing.
I wouldn't mind if it was quiet and for everyone, but is that wrong too??
But is thi

THINK: the poor woman may also have gotten tired of having to sit next to some CLUELESS SELFISH ASSHAT producing a VERY AUDIBLE tinny chattering buzzing noise next to her for THREE GODDAM HOURS WHILE SHE'S TRYING TO CONCENTRATE!

I had a life drawing model in an untutored life session break the pose, walk over, and lecture such an asshat that was sitting next to me-- you see, the MODEL HAS TO LISTEN TO THAT SHIT AS WELL--

it was a beautiful and priceless moment!

[Conniekat8]

One of the teachers I have doesn't like it when students have headphones on. I guess sometimes when the teacher is trying to say something, people with headphones don't always respond, so the teacher(s) get annoyed trying to get their attention.
So after the teacher has a few rude students, they get tired of it, and just say no headphones at all.

It's one of those things where a few bad apples can ruin it for everyone, because they went over the top. Some people just don't have very good classroom ettiquette. Those things happen quite a bit in life, it's not always fair, but sometimes there's nothing you can do about it. In the classroom, it's ultimately the teachers call. So as much as it sucks, you're out of luck there.

[Alice Herring]

Just to provide an additional view point...music can actually be a distraction. It's not enough to sit in a room with a model in front of you. You should be thinking about what the model is doing, how the forms wrap around, compress, extend; where the weight is, and make conscious decisions about not only what you see, but the marks you choose to put down on the page.

In other words, it's about maintaining focus - which for many individuals, is a learned skill.

[JFierce]

I prefer music when doing stuff from imagination and just scribbling and seeing what happens. But yeah music I can imagine distracts when trying to observe. Though to some people it may not for all I know, their mind may wander without it.

[Noah Bradley]

In a classroom environment, leave the headphones out--show some respect for your teacher and what they're saying. In an open life drawing session, do what you want (but don't be a dick about it).

[manlybrian]

Get yourself a pair of these. THAT'LL show 'em what's up!

[TinyBird]

THINK: the poor woman may also have gotten tired of having to sit next to some CLUELESS SELFISH ASSHAT producing a VERY AUDIBLE tinny chattering buzzing noise next to her for THREE GODDAM HOURS WHILE SHE'S TRYING TO CONCENTRATE!

Yeah, people often seem to think that headphones = no noise getting out. When in reality you have no idea how much noise might be getting out and at least to me that muffled buzzing sound that you still hear is even more aggravating and distracting than if there was a radio going on in the room.

And additionally I agree with Rabbit-- (oh my god, what happened to your name?!1!) with Alice, that music can distract you in ways you might not even notice. Listening music might make drawing less boring, give you more mood, etc, but you're still putting focus away from drawing. Though I wonder if listening classical would help concentration, if it has worked on studying (as I remember that some studies were made about this)?

Generally those two are the reasons why I don't listen to music even in life drawing meetings that don't have teachers.

[Chris Bennett]

Just think what Michelangelo could have achieved with ear buds!

I agree with Alice and Kamber about focus.
It also becomes a backing track to your own drawing results - as we all know, a weak scene in a fillm can by hyped by background music.
Likewise, what you think you are achieving is hyped by the sensual rush of what's going through your ears.

[tobbA]

Though I wonder if listening classical would help concentration, if it has worked on studying (as I remember that some studies were made about this)?

It's not like classical music is some kind of miracle sound that works completely different from all other types of music. But then I guess music without lyrics is probably less distracting than music with lyrics. Usually I can draw fine with either. But if I'm reading something I can't have something with song in it because it distracs from the text. I'm pretty sure music can help you get in the mood and serve to inspire and motivate you to draw.

[Alice Herring]

Yeah, people often seem to think that headphones = no noise getting out. When in reality you have no idea how much noise might be getting out and at least to me that muffled buzzing sound that you still hear is even more aggravating and distracting than if there was a radio going on in the room.

And additionally I agree with Rabbit-- (oh my god, what happened to your name?!1!) with Alice, that music can distract you in ways you might not even notice. Listening music might make drawing less boring, give you more mood, etc, but you're still putting focus away from drawing. Though I wonder if listening classical would help concentration, if it has worked on studying (as I remember that some studies were made about this)?

Generally those two are the reasons why I don't listen to music even in life drawing meetings that don't have teachers.

Tinybird: I CHANGED IT. mwahahaha! There was no real reason NOT to use my legal name

As for the classical music thing: It's actually called the Mozart effect, and the original study had to do with spatial reasoning, not IQ. (the results of which are not consistently replicated in repeated experiments.)

[J Wilson]

Man, this is a tough one for me. I agree, that if there is instruction, having the ear buds out is a good idea. You never know when something very insightful may be said to a fellow student. Without instruction, I personally don't see the harm, as long as the music isn't blaring and annoying others by still being very audible. Keep the volume low, and what's the harm?

As for the model's preference, well, I try to make the model as comfortable as possible in every way, BUT my work habits are my work habits and ultimately what I'm doing is kind of the point of the whole thing. I'm one of those people who does generally concentrate better with some music or something. I want my brain on and stimulated, but once you get into a groove drawing it's not like it takes deep problem solving attention. I'm relying on what looks and feels right, not solving complex math equations.

That said, these days if I'm out in a life drawing situation it's at least partly social because I can spend so much time at my desk at home. While I concentrate better with some music, these days I'm at least as interested in being "available" for conversation.

[a.k.a.Ciel]

What a tough one. I'm not sure since I've listened to music when we had life drawing in high school. Our teacher didn't mind so long as she could be within a foot of your ear and not hear a single peep when the room is silent (so yeah, get some closed headphones and keep it low guys).
That was definitely the case when we had our art exam too. She was a little more lenient on other things then because it was 10 hours long and people were on their own desks to work (we had a pretty huge art dept. Lots of space). So long as no one else could hear it, we were good.

In a life drawing...I guess it could irritate the model, because then it probably seems like you're focusing less on them and more than what's buzzing through your ears.
Some people need it to concentrate, for example, it's a very common thing for people who partake in fighting game tournaments to be listening to music because they find it easier to concentrate, I'm one of those people.
It creates a little bubble of focus for me between myself and what I'm looking at, so I can see how it would help others in drawing.

But then some do get distracted.

Apples and oranges, I suppose.

[jetpack42]

If it's a class, it's the teacher's call.

Now, if it's an open studio...

THINK: the poor woman may also have gotten tired of having to sit next to some CLUELESS SELFISH ASSHAT producing a VERY AUDIBLE tinny chattering buzzing noise next to her for THREE GODDAM HOURS WHILE SHE'S TRYING TO CONCENTRATE!

I had a life drawing model in an untutored life session break the pose, walk over, and lecture such an asshat that was sitting next to me-- you see, the MODEL HAS TO LISTEN TO THAT SHIT AS WELL--

it was a beautiful and priceless moment!

Was there any other music, Kamber?

Rare is the life drawing session where people draw in silence. Most of the sessions involve some horrible classical music. I actually LIKE classical music. I listen to a bunch of classical music. But most sessions feature meandering, terrible, obscure classical music.

At what point are people responsible for their own environment? There's a certain common sense to it, obviously strapping boomboxes to your head is excessive, but you do realize it is impossible to prevent some noise from spilling out of headphones, right? So.. if you know, ahead of time, that you don't want to listen to random headphone chatter.....get ready.... this is going to be pretty novel..... bring your own headphones! I listen to music during the sessions, not to piss people off, but.... get ready for it.... to cut out distractions! It works amazingly! I don't have to listen to horrible classical music, I don't have to listen to annoying people chattering, I don't get asked a thousand questions every break time*... I can just draw. If you don't like to be distracted, how about taking a little responsibility for yourself?

If it's a controlled environment, such as a class with a teacher, or enforced silence, then it's obvious. But if it's an open session where people can talk, or you get talked to often, or there's other crappy music and chattering, you really have three choices. Power through. Complain. Fend for yourself.

* no exaggeration, if I do not wear headphones, I get talked to at almost every break. If not "How is your day?" "Did you get a cookie?", then it's "Is that a charcoal pencil?" "What kind of paper is that?" You can't maintain any emotional integrity getting chatted up by a dozen people. I don't want to be rude to people and blow them off, so I dissuade them from talking by listening to music in the first place. I'm a clueless selfish asshat for wanting to actually concentrate and get work done when I pay for a drawing session, obviously.

[bcarman]

The teacher is always right. Discussion over.

[Cory Hinman]

"Is it actually rude to listen to music during life drawing"

YES IT IS!

[Hunin]

Yes, I'd consider it rude, even if it was permissible by the teacher.

Our lives are constantly full of noise these days, when I went to life drawing classes in college it was rather nice to have silence.

[123Michael321]

He doesn't stalk around the room endlessly anyway so it's not like we miss what he says.

"Stalk" has certain negative connotations, at least in a context such as the one described. It's not stalking. It's moving about the room, instructing. Maybe suggesting, or at least observing and perhaps evaluating.

You probably wouldn't appreciate it if what you were doing were described as "scribbling."

So we got this new lady and all of a sudden she's like "No Headphones in while drawing!"

Not an unusual rule. No, it's not universal, by any means. But neither is it at all uncommon.

Now it's always no headphones and during the longer poses I have to say that i get a little bothered. I constantly have music playing in my head and it's a bit distracting, so music playing nullifies it. (weird i know)

Basically, you "constantly have music playing in [your] head," so you seek to nullify this distraction by... distracting yourself with the playing of music in your head (via headphones). Do you grasp the irony?

Perhaps you could try to see the "no headphones" rule as an opportunity to wean yourself from your need for such a distraction. You may find that it encourages you to focus more deeply or acutely upon your drawing and the artistic process, in order to nullify mental distractions like the music in your head. And this could only be a good thing, right?

Consider, if you need music while working, music is no longer an aid. It's a crutch. It's like drinking coffee not because you like the taste of coffee, but because you need the caffeine in order to function effectively. Such dependencies are not strengths. They're not even harmless personal preferences to be indulged. Rather, they're weaknesses you should wish to overcome.

But is it actually bad manners, disrespectful, or just rude to listen to music privately while drawing.

If you were sitting alone in your living room, drawing a bowl of fruit, there would be nothing rude about listening to music while doing so. It still might be a practice you'd wish to avoid for various reasons, but it would not be rude, if only because you'd be the only person present, so whom would you be treating impolitely - yourself? The bowl of fruit?

However, a class is - by definition - not a private setting. It is an environment where the possibility of some degree of interaction between people is to be anticipated. And one could plausibly maintain that creating your own little aural environment in such a setting is impolite.

Now, if your instructor were to say, "Feel free to listen to music, via headphones, while drawing," that's a different story. Again, it might not be a practice in which you should engage, but at least it wouldn't be rude. It's sort of how in certain settings it might be impolite to address a superior (and I use "superior" in a broad sense) by his first name. But once he invites you to call him by his first name, it's no longer rude of you to do so.

I wouldn't mind if it was quiet and for everyone, but is that wrong too??

It's not wrong in some grand, spiritual sense. But in a classroom setting, an instructor's guidelines as to what constitutes appropriate behavior tend to trump a student's preferences as to what constitutes appropriate behavior. This is one of the little non-taxable perks of being the teacher, and not the student.

If you really felt strongly about this, you could ask your instructor to explain why he insists upon his rule. But ultimately, a simple "Because I'm convinced it enhances the learning experience," while about as void of meaning as a parent's "because I say so," is all the explanation an instructor need provide.
--
Michael

[Qitsune]

When I go to open studio life drawing, I'm using earbuds, no one else can hear it and it stops me hearing the morons who mutters two rows over and ppl shuffling their papers, or rooting around in their bags and chatting because they can't be bothered to draw the same pose for 20 minutes. If the model were to tell me I can't listen to my music I'd ask for my money back and never go back to that place again. I don't sit in my corner with my music during breaks but I don't consider the time when the model poses to be a social situation, I'm not at the pub.

[[email protected]]

It's more about respect towards teacher, model and group, in that order, than about anything else. At the school here, every studio has a huge sign with 'concentration requires SILENCE', and headphones, earbuds, mobiles, are among the lethal sins. The main exception is the director of the school, who loves to play loud dixieland or light music, which totally throws me out of focus, and I sometimes have to fight to get it out of my system. But it is nothing that two dabs of kneadable eraser cannot fix...

[dose]

If there's a teacher, you can actually do a surprising amount of learning when they are talking to other people- provided you can hear them.

[[email protected]]

If there's a teacher, you can actually do a surprising amount of learning when they are talking to other people- provided you can hear them.

I had one teacher who explicitly recommended this: "If you see me talking to one of you, check out later what it was all about"...

[Black Spot]

I've been to one life class where whale music was played. I nearly shot myself, or would have if I had a gun. Any case I like to natter to total strangers. No music is fine or something that is not in your face, cutting edge is also fine. Beat stuff gets me moving my head and that's not good for drawing.

[erinc]

I've been to one class where whale music was played. I nearly shot myself, or would have if I had a gun.

I had one teacher who used to play sounds of tropical islands and rain forests. It was generic elevator or waiting room music against a backdrop of torrential downpours, parrots, and monkeys. Most distracting thing ever.

[JeffX99]

If there's a teacher, you can actually do a surprising amount of learning when they are talking to other people- provided you can hear them.

This is huge and part of what I was talking about it being a social situation/group/community...and sorry but you also learn a lot from the more advanced students by asking them questions during break...at least when they are approachable.

It's more about respect towards teacher, model and group, in that order, than about anything else. At the school here, every studio has a huge sign with 'concentration requires SILENCE', and headphones, earbuds, mobiles, are among the lethal sins. The main exception is the director of the school, who loves to play loud dixieland or light music, which totally throws me out of focus, and I sometimes have to fight to get it out of my system. But it is nothing that two dabs of kneadable eraser cannot fix...

And this. Because guess what happens in a working studio environment? "Hey, ready to go to lunch?...Meeting in 20 minutes in Burnout...*phone rings*....What folder did you put that robot texture in?...etc., etc." If you can't handle a little distraction and develop the ability to get back on track it's going to be rough.

[JeffX99]

I had one teacher who used to play sounds of tropical islands and rain forests. It was generic elevator or waiting room music against a backdrop of torrential downpours, parrots, and monkeys. Most distracting thing ever.

lol...pretty funny. Type of music is definitely important. Instrumental always best I think, any lyrics, or jarring sounds just jolt you out of focus. Smooth jazz radio station was played when I was in my late teens in one set of classes...did not dig it at all at first, but it grew on me and is a very fond memory.

The sin above all imho is any chatting during the drawing pose. One guy in open drawing sessions had this habit and it was so annoying. He just didn't get it.