What do you listen to while you work? How do you listen? When I am writing, it is a struggle to maintain focus, so silence is my friend and ally. Working in the garden, I like to be fully present. The subtle (and occasionally not-so-subtle) sounds of nature conspire to produce their own low-key, atonal symphonies, while my own quietude allows me to blend in and observe interactions that would elude me if I were surrounded by my own “sound barrier.” (Ever had a butterfly land on your toe?) By contrast, when I am sewing and working on products for my Etsy shop, I listen to the sweet little Bose radio in my studio.

Does music influence your work? You might get the idea that music takes a back seat, but not so. In fact, the first couple of paragraphs of BeBop Garden allude to the ways in which gardening, and, by extension, garden writing, have come to stand in for my lack of musicianship. Early on, I found myself calling certain plants “divas” and others “chorus girls.” It wasn’t long before the analogy “took root” and I began to see the whole garden in musical terms.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? Portland has a 24-hour jazz/blues station, KMHD, that is our radio mainstay. Most days, I try to tune in to NPR’s “Fresh Air” to hear Terry Gross interview the world’s most fascinating people. When musicians are her guests (Patti Smith, Yo Yo Ma, Robert Plant and Alison Kraus…) she will play cuts from their various recordings…or there will be reviews at the end of the show. We also have a huge collection of vinyl from as far back as the 50’s and lots of CDs from more recent years. Heavy on jazz, Motown, and classical, most genres are represented.

Who influences your musical taste? A French friend has made a number of CD mixes for us, introducing us to Amy Winehouse, Adele, Pink Martini, and a bunch of French artists I will not attempt to name as these things come sans liner notes.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be? I would love to be able to say that the garden compositions I create and the words I write have the offbeat, minor key dissonance of Donovan’s Hurdy Gurdy Man, the swinging syncopation of Dave Brubeck’s Jazz Impressions of Eurasia, and the sublime cool of anything by Miles Davis. Maybe someday…when the light is just right.

RICKI’S PLAYLIST

1. Trout Quintet by Schubert, Clifford Curzon Vienna Octet
2. Hey Sweet Man, Madeleine Peyroux
3. Bird on a Wire, Leonard Cohen
4. Seed, Afro Celt Sound System
5. Wash Me Clean, K.D. Lang
6. Take Off Your Cool, OutKast featuring Norah Jones
7. Tutu, Miles Davis
8. The Forest (album), David Byrne
9. Good Dog, Happy Man (album), Bill Frisell
10. Sweet Tea (album), Buddy Guy
11. Queen of the Night, Yusef Lateef
12. Rubber Band Man, The Spinners

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Photos: Ricki Grady

What do you listen to while you work? I spent years working in buttoned-up, quiet architectural offices in the city, so I definitely take advantage of having my own non-traditional working environment. The music is always loud when it’s playing in the studio, usually drowning out the din of DUMBO’s bridge traffic. When I need to focus on a specific sewing project, I listen to audiobooks downloaded via the New York Public Library. The NYPL has over 20,000 audiobooks available for download in MP3 format for free, and I average around 12 books a month. (Mostly classics like War and Peace, Proust, everything written by Dickens and Edith Wharton…and now I’m blacksliding into YA with the Hunger Games series.)

How do you listen? In the studio I have set of old speakers plugged into the laptop, or an iPod when I’m listening to an audiobook. When I work at home, the situation is analog. My boyfriend (writer Matt Lombardi) and I have a vinyl collection and a room full of instruments accrued through years of participating in Brooklyn’s DIY music scene. I’ve never been in a band, but Matt and his brother Jay (an artist and designer based in Philadelphia) are constantly making music. It’s so much fun to be around.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? I was an avid user of Muxtape, which sadly got curbed by the RIAA. I’ve been using 8tracks for the past few years as an alternative, which like Muxtape allows users to create mix tapes for their friends by uploading digital music they already own. It’s a wonderful online resource because individuals are authoring each mix to showcase their own discoveries.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? Matt makes me 8track mixes, and he has an encyclopedic knowledge of indie and garage rock, which I love. I have very intense work habits, so Matt’s mixes are usually themed (pointedly) on my obsessions: never sleeping, being broke, and WORK. They are amazing. [Hear three of his mixes here: Church of Work, Busted, and Sleep Tired Sleep Tired.]

Does music influence your work? On a recent large scale project, I listened to Bjork on repeat for months…when I listen to “Volta” now or look at the work I produced while listening to that particular album, the two things seem dependent on one another. I have a teenager’s obsessive love of music.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be? Animal Collective.

EMILY’S PLAYLIST

She Works Hard for the Money, Donna Summer

Never Get Ahead, Bobby Conn

We Gotta Get Out of This Place, The Animals

I Want Some, Make Up

Factory Girl, The Rolling Stones

Work Song, Dan Reeder

Welcome to the Working Week, Elvis Costello

Hold On, John Lennon

Images: Emily Fischer and portrait of Emily from PSFK interview here.

What do you listen to while you work? We fight between Radio 4 (Stan) and music (Sophie). Sophie is proletarian. It’s class war—all day, every day.

How do you listen? Through a laptop running (via cable) to a Citronic 2000W PA power amp and Peavey 15″ cabs.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? The BBC iPlayer is an outstanding example why public ownership of the means of production, done well, works best.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? We are forever coercing each other into liking new things.

Does music influence your work? Music is part of who we are; it influences everything. Look at anything we’ve ever made and you’ll see the music in it.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be? Stan was a musician before he did this. The song “China (Acoustic)” [in the music mix below] was his work.

STAN & SOPHIE’S PLAYLIST

In for the Kill, La Roux (Skream remix)

Gold Dust, DJ Fresh

Express Yourself, N.W.A.

Forgot About Dre, Dr. Dre featuring Eminem

Provider, N.E.R.D.

Close to Me, The Cure

Walk on the Wild Side, Lou Reed

Montego Bay, Freddie Notes & The Rudies

Everything I Own, Ken Boothe

Into the Mystic, Van Morrison

Caravan of Love, The Housemartins

China (Acoustic), Summer Holiday

Deliverance, Bubba Sparxxx

Mo Money Mo Problems, Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy & Mase

Images courtesy Stanley Wilson & Sophie Gollop

What do you listen to while you work? When I write I like to listen to music without words. Something more ambient. But when I’m researching or editing I’ll listen to a whole range of stuff from Sufjan Stevens to Elvis Costello to Vampire Weekend.

How do you listen? Through speakers attached to my Dell monitor. I work from home so there’s no one but the dog to disturb. I don’t have to worry about keeping it down!

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? I’m addicted to Pandora. I hear a song I like, create a playlist and get a whole bunch of other songs I like. It’s perfect. I like what pops up on my Eric Satie station – it works well when I’m writing and I need to concentrate. I got into Spotify for a while and I like being able to look at other people’s music lists but I keep returning to Pandora. I’ll also sometimes jump into iTunes and let that play at random. A lot of that music came from my husband so it’s fun for me to listen to it – like getting a mixed tape from him.

Does music influence your work? It certainly influences my mood but not my work directly. There’s nothing like a good song to pick you up out of those 3pm doldrums. Almost as good as a cup of coffee.

What song or artist best represents the work you create? I dread this question! My mind goes completely blank at the thought of pinning down one song to describe all the different work I do. I heard Kate Bush interviewed on KCRW yesterday and was reminded how much I love “Wuthering Heights“. It’s such a wonderfully overwrought, operatic song and fun to work to. But a better song to represent the work I do would be Hauschka’s “Children” – it’s a rich, layered instrumental piece that’s busy (like me) and beautiful (which is what I aim for with the work I produce).

Cerentha’s Playlist

Ryan Adams, Dirty Rain

Sufjan Stevens, Chicago

Lenka, The Show

Ingrid Michaelson, Be OK

Badly Drawn Boy, Once Around the Block

Aimee Mann, Save Me

Ben Lee, Apple Candy

Bernard Fanning, Hope and Validation

Nick Cave and Various Artists, The Ship Song Project

Billy Bragg and Wilco, California Stars

Fiona Apple, Across the Universe

Erik Satie, Gymnopedie

1. Wasted Hours by Arcade Fire from The Playlist: Ben Lambers of Studio Aandacht

2. Autumn Leaves by Cannonball Adderly & Miles Davis from The Playlist: Stylist & Product/Interior Designer Sofie Brünner

3. Mambo Sun by T. Rex from The Playlist: Product Designer Jonah Takagi

4. Time to Pretend by MGMT from The Playlist: Environmental Lifestyle Expert Danny Seo

5. Workin’ Day And Night by Michael Jackson from The Playlist: Artist/illustrator Jonathan Woodward

6. Solar by Thunderball from The Playlist: Graphic Designer & Art Photographer Paul Vanzella

7. The Twilite Kid by The Twilight Singers from The Playlist: Creative Director Eric Karjaluoto

8. When The Sun Goes Down by Steffaloo from The Playlist: Matthew and Kasey Hickey of Turntable Kitchen

9. Everlasting Light by The Black Keys from The Playlist: Graphic Designer Carolyn Sewell

Image sources: Eugene Huh for Eric Karjaluoto, Carolyn Sewell, Sofie Brünner

What do you listen to while you work? I like to make playlists in iTunes; normally I put one on and let it go. I recently introduced a canvas shave kit that comes with a custom comb imprinted CUT THAT HAIR YOU HIPPIE and a book of illustrations of my favorite NYC barbershops, so I made a playlist about hair: Long Haired Child—Devendra Banhart; Cut Your Hair—Pavement; Love Plus One—Haircut 100; Hairy Trees—Goldfrapp; Hairdresser of Fire—Morrissey; Whip My Hair—Willow Smith; 
Almost Cut My Hair—Crosby Stills Nash; German Haircut—Flying Lotus; Black Haired Girl—Sebadoh; Don’t Cut Your Hair—The Pretenders; Cut and Run—Electrelane; Cutting It Up—Wu Tang
.

How do you listen? I have speakers attached to my computer.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? I like saidthegramophone.com and indierockcafe.com.

Does music influence your work? Music is a huge influence but I can’t really point to an example and say there is a direct correlation between this band/song and this product. Music creates the environment and fosters creativity, and like lots of other things, it inspires me and keeps things positive. The closest example: I just introduced a beaded keychain that was sort of inspired by a bracelet I saw Devendra Banhart wearing.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? Sometimes I’ll get a recommendation from a friend. I also love going to record stores—Other Music in NYC and Amoeba in LA are two favorites. I grew up in Baltimore and there was an amazing little record store called Chicks; sadly, it’s not there anymore. It was this perfectly cluttered two-story house with a wonky staircase and band posters covering the walls. It was the coolest place.

What song or artist best represents the work you create? That’s a hard question. I’d be really stoked if Binky Shapiro from Little Joy or Kristian Matsson from Tallest Man on Earth were to wear one of my shirts.

MATT’S PLAYLIST

I Can’t Wait, Twin Shadow
I’m in Love With a German Film Star, The Passions
Pretty Bombs, Guided By Voices
Dinner, Blood Orange
I’m Not Ready, Surfer Blood
Trials of the Past, SBTRKT
My Mistakes, Eleanor Friedberger
Turning Blue, Jay Reatard
Samba da Benção, Bebel Gilberto
Where’d You Go, J Mascis

County Line, Cass McCombs
Ceremony, New Order

Images: Matt Singer

1. Hustle by Tunng from The Playlist: Web Designer & Developer Dustin Hoffman

2. I Follow Rivers by Lykke Li from The Playlist: Music critic and author Amanda Petrusich

3. Feel It All Around by Washed Out from The Playlist: Artist Carrie Strine & Graphic Designer/Illustrator Tim Lahan

4. That’s It, I Quit, I’m Moving On by Adele from The Playlist: Photographer Nicole Hill Gerulat

5. Oh Yoko! by John Lennon from The Playlist: Typographer Jessica Hische

6. Gone The Bells by Cotton Jones from The Playlist: Justin Gage of Aquarium Drunkard & Autumn Tone Records

7. Bang Bang Bang by Mark Ronson & The Business Intl from The Playlist: Writer and Lifestyle Consultant Sophie Donelson

8. The Calculation by Regina Spektor from The Playlist: Artist Amy Helfand

9. Uma by OOIOO from The Playlist: Product Designer Stanley Ruiz

10. Marathon by Tennis from The Playlist: Designer & Musician Matthew Thornton

Images courtesy Amanda Petrusich, Nicole Hill Gerulat, Justin Gage, Carrie Strine / Tim Lahan, and Jessica Hische

What do you listen to while you work? C: I listen to Morning Edition every morning in the studio, because I find that music is too much for me in the morning. Once I’m rolling I usually listen to the KEXP’s John in the Morning because I have serious issues DJ-ing for myself. I’d much rather trust someone else who gets my music taste to take up that job, or it might take 30 minutes from my work fiddling around with iTunes. I hate to get distracted while I’m working. When Tim’s in the studio, DJ-ing is his full responsibility. It’s something I love about sharing our workspace, and I know he’ll put on something that really improves the mood.

T: When Carrie’s not around, I go into guilty-pleasure mode and play some really loud metal stuff or old punk tunes I used to listen to in high school.

How do you listen? C: I hate headphones, and that defeats the purpose of sharing our workspace. We just use the built-in speakers on our computers.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? C: I listen to KEXP with their online stream in the morning every day, but other than that iTunes. T: I just borrow music.

Does music influence your work? C: The most recent Sun Kil Moon album, “Admiral Fell Promises,” made an impression on me while working on my Half to Whole Quilt. Musicians like Mark Kozelek that are reinterpreting folk music in a modern way often align with my work. Tim is the biggest influence on my musical taste, and recommends most things I listen to. I’m lucky—I’m pretty sure he seeks out new music for me sometimes. T: I think a lot of what I listen to plays a part in the way I make things. Often just the energy or intensity of a song I might be listening to may push my work in a certain direction, or enable me to sit down and finish something I’ve been working on for a while but have put on the back burner. As far as where I find music, I scour a lot of blogs to check out new stuff, and if I’m not feeling what’s new, I just go back to listening to my old stuff like Thin Lizzy or New Order.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be? C: I think I’m a little more rough around the edges and quirky than Sun Kil Moon, so I’d like to think my work is a little more like Tallest Man on Earth. T: For me, it’s a hodge-podge of different stuff depending on what I’m making. Anything from Descendents to Marvin Gaye.

CARRIE & TIM’S PLAYLIST

Love Man, Otis Redding

Castles in the Snow, Twin Shadow

Third and Seneca, Sun Kil Moon

Thousand Ways, The Tallest Man on Earth

If You Think You’re Lonely Now, Bobby Womack

The World’s Strongest Man, Scott Walker

Fight or Fall, Thin Lizzy

This Must Be the Place, Talking Heads

Feel It All Around, Washed Out

You, Gold Panda

Images: Carrie Strine and Tim Lahan

What do you listen to while you work? Although I will occasionally listen to entire albums, I usually put my 13.5K song collection on random.

How do you listen? Through Bose speakers or with my headphones on.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? I have feeds from a ton of music blogs coming into Google Reader, and I hear about new releases from them, and from friends of mine. I used to share office space with The Rights Workshop, a music-supervision and licensing company, and discovered a lot of new music through Brooke Wentz and her team.

Does music influence your work? Before ecoReserve, I worked as software architect for Creative Allies, a startup that enables musicians to post jobs for creative content (CD covers, t-shirts, etc.) and have their fans compete to create the piece chosen by the musician. The team behind the project was made up of music business veterans as well as younger folks, and we all wound up listening to a lot of music by the artists involved in our initial launch. This is an example of the opposite of what you’re asking… for years, my work has influenced the music I’ve heard, rather than the opposite.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? I use SonicLiving.com to find out about gigs that interest me. Having spent years in and around the “music biz” such as it is, there are friends whose taste I trust implicitly (Cerentha being one of them!), and I always check out anything they send my way. I probably recommend more music to friends than they recommend to me.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be? What a question!!! Hmm. ecoReserve, my current project, allows people to create their own nature preserves for as little as $25… so it would be something connected to nature—maybe Peter Gabriel, something apocalyptic: “Here Comes the Flood.” When I had my prepress company in New York, things ran at an insane pace… perhaps “Burning Down the House” by Talking Heads.

JAMES’ PLAYLIST
Good Ol’ Boy (Gettin’ Tough), Steve Earle

Capital Punishment (from “Back in Town), George Carlin

Sparrow, Ken Stringfellow

I Feel Fine (Beatle’s cover), The Harvey Averne Dozen

Bottomliners, Brian Eno

I Want You Around, The Hunting Accident

My Son Cool, Guided By Voices

Eleanor Put Your Boots On, Franz Ferdinand

Tough Guy, Beastie Boys

Bummer In The Summer, Love

California Stars, Billy Bragg and Wilco

Under Your Breath, Whiskeytown

Nobody Loves You When You’re Down and Out, John Lennon

Entertain, Sleater-Kinney

Fussing and Fighting, Bob Marley and The Wailers

See How We Are, X

Images: James Lynch III

What do you listen to while you work? I like to have music on almost all the time, except when I’m reading or writing for a class. I’m definitely one of those people who needs their music to match their mood, so most of the time that means some type of alternative-rock, current favorites are The Smiths and The Cold War Kids. I tend to get really into a specific band and just listen them to death—recently that’s been The Black Keys and The White Stripes. When I’m DIY-ing or working on my apartment, I like music with a lot of energy, which can range anywhere from The Cure to The Old Crow Medicine Show—the best old-timey bluegrass group out there; they’re pure fun—to, yes, Lady Gaga. I’ve even been known to submit to short but intense bouts of that grizzly Bieber Fever pandemic. When my ears need more of a rest, I like folk music (or artists with strong folk influences) like Bob Dylan, Donovan, Pete Seeger, The Dodos, Abigail Washburn, and She & Him. But let’s not forget the power ballads of the 80s. “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler is an epic masterpiece.

How do you listen? While I’d never consider myself an audiophile, I do love my turntable. But it’s not just a hipster prop; I really use it. I’d like to say my parents gifted me all of their unused vinyl; but, in reality, I just took it upon myself to liberate a couple dozen records from their languishing post on the basement shelves. My dad’s copy of David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane and my mom’s set of The Band’s The Last Waltz get a lot of play in particular. Generally I prefer music to be played out in the open, but having a roommate makes private listening a necessity for the sake of basic decency, so my headphones are employed often. I also have one of those little iPod speaker do-hickeys, which gets used all the time.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? I’m sort of incompetent with computers and the Internet, so mostly I just use the iTunes Music Store. Shazam is a great iPhone app that can recognize ambient music almost anywhere, which is great for covert music discovery. I feel like a spy when I pull it out in the coffee shop to figure out what they’re playing. I also often make questionable decisions at flea markets and thrift stores with record purchases—they’re just so cheap! I recently came home with nine Joan Baez albums. Nothing against Joan Baez, but that might have been excessive.

Does music influence your work? Adding a soundtrack to your life definitely puts you in a certain frame of mind and influences the way you interact with your environment and generate ideas. I like music that does something unexpected—the kind of songs that you don’t know exactly what you’re in for after hearing the first ten seconds. I suppose I try to carry that quality through to my work on my home, blogging, academic work, etc. In my workspace, I made my desk from a traditionally-styled nightstand I found on the curb and played the beat-up wood against a crisp white desktop, white painted drawer fronts, and hairpin-inspired legs from IKEA. The shelving was made with steel plumbing pipe and plywood. I like the interplay of the exposed honey-colored tone of the plywood edge (which to me is evocative of mid-century modern furniture) and the more industrial feel of matte-black pipe. Added to that are office accessories ranging from the 40s to the present, a vintage oriental rug, needlepoints, and—still my favorite element—my vintage Eames “light sea foam green” Shell Chair. Broken down piece by piece, it sounds like a mess. But I like the way it all works together.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? Music recommendations come from everywhere. I’m lucky to have a lot of musically inclined and talented friends, so their recommendations are always the best. But I’ve also found some of my favorite music from other blogs, movies, or hearing things at the coffee shop or at a party.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be? Optimistically, I’m going with David Bowie. Not because I’m brilliant or talented or British or married to Iman, but I think that his music and style expertly toe a line between beauty and fun. I suppose I take the design of my space pretty seriously, but I try to be careful not to let that quest for a good-looking room shut out the things I love. Some people want to live in a magazine, but I’d rather keep my surroundings sort of playful and personal. In the end, I’d rather have my space be “me” than be perfect.

DANIEL’S PLAYLIST
Time, Pink Floyd

Plainsong, The Cure

Golden Gate Jumpers, Cold War Kids

All Delighted People (Classic Rock Version), Sufjan Stevens

I’ll Keep It With Mine, Nico

Baby, Let Me Follow You Down, Bob Dylan

All I Want, Joni Mitchell, Blue

The Boy With the Thorn in His Side, The Smiths

Time, David Bowie

Next Girl, The Black Keys, Brothers

Quiet, Please!, Cold War Kids

Images: Daniel Kanter

What do you listen to while you work? This depends on what work I’m doing and what kind of mood I’m in. If I’m writing, I generally can’t listen to music with intense lyrics, so I’ll listen to the mellower jazz like Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue or melodic electronic stuff like Múm and The Album Leaf. 

When I’m drawing or working on my clothing line, anything goes. It helps to have something upbeat like MGMT or thought-provoking like NPR. I’m addicted to This American Life and Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

How do you listen? I almost always use my computer, either with my iPod or streaming online.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? I grew up in Massachusetts and there is a great chain there called Newbury Comics. They now have a website where you can order CDs and vinyl, but back in the day it was a great spot to find new music and a creative atmosphere.

Does music influence your work? Once I designed an entire collection while listening exclusively to Miles Davis. It wasn’t a conscious source of inspiration, but when it came time to present what I had made, I realized that the moody spirit of the music had found its way into the clothes. You can see it here.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? My brother Jasper and boyfriend Rory are always recommending music they think I’ll like. If it wasn’t for Jasper I would still be listening to Weezer’s first two albums on repeat.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be? Well…I inadvertently named my clothing company after a line in Young MC’s “Bust a Move”. I’ll let you decide.

JEAN’S PLAYLIST

In The Beginning, K’Naan

Re:Definition, Mos Def & Talib Kweli

Heartbeats, The Knife

Wagon Wheel, Old Crow Medicine Show

Hey, The Pixies

Dead Sound, The Raveonettes

Drop It Like It’s Hot, Snoop Dogg and Pharrell

My Block (Nitty Remix), Tupac

In The Air Tonight, Phil Collins

The ’59 Sound, The Gaslight Anthem

A Sunday Smile, Beirut

Cry, Cry, Cry, Johnny Cash

The Subtleties of Chores and Unlocked Doors, Des Ark

Images: Jean Lin

What do you listen to while you work? I usually listen to rock and roll or just enjoy silence, which is sometimes easier for me to work to. The mix below is decently representative of what I like to listen and work to. Otherwise, I listen to opera; I also like to work to Philip Glass Ensemble.

How do you listen? My old record player finally gave up the ghost, so these days I listen to iTunes on the computer, or I use an iPod.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? I haven’t really explored those too much yet. Last FM seems quite good; the little time I have spent on it, I’ve been impressed with what they recommend based on the channel you create. Pandora is fine, too.

Does music influence your work? I’m more overtly influenced by literature or visual art, so it’s interesting to think about music influencing me. Actually, for a long time I was stealing titles for paintings from Simon and Garfunkel song lyrics. So, that’s something. 
I think John Cage’s funny and beautiful “Suite for Toy Piano” is really inspiring, and is maybe a close relative of what I aspire to do. I admire how Mozart could write something that is simultaneously silly and elegant, for instance his exuberant Overture to The Marriage of Figaro. Artists like Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, or Lou Reed, each of whom invented a new version of a musical vernacular, are very creatively motivating.

Where do you find music recommendations? My wife has had an influence on my musical taste, which probably happened naturally as our records and libraries got mixed together and her music would be on when I’m in the apartment. She got me interested in Hank Williams, Robert Johnson, Buddy Holly, Gillian Welch…blues and all its offspring, I guess. Music that is very American. Other than that, sometimes a friend will give me a good recommendation.

What song or artist best represents the work you create? Maybe Elvis? Might as well as be the king. A friend once told me that a Beat Happening song called “Indian Summer” sounded the way my drawings looked.

JORDAN’S PLAYLIST

Child’s Christmas in Wales, John Cale

Redondo Beach, Patti Smith

Spanish Harlem Incident, Bob Dylan

Cannibal Resource, Dirty Projectors

Waterfall, The Stone Roses

My Girls, Animal Collective

This Must Be the Place, Talking Heads

Sweet Jane, The Velvet Underground

Elvis Presley Blues, Gillian Welch

In the New Year, The Walkmen

From Stardust to Sentience, High Places

Images: Jordan Awan

Do you listen to music while you work? It varies with the task that I was working on. If I’m working on something new or doing research on trends or colors, I usually don’t listen to the music because I don’t want to be distracted. I prefer to switch on TV in the other room just to have some working companion, so usually while I was writing down my ideas, Mrs. Fletcher was successfully solving homicides in the other room of our apartment.

How do you listen? I use the headphones to listen to my iPod.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? I use Deezer a lot and also Jamendo when I have more time. I like the site because it gives independent musicians the opportunity to publish, share, and promote their music as well as the opportunity for us to enjoy them.

Does music influence your work? I really like to match the music with what I’m working on. I put on the music once I get the initial ideas of color palettes and materials, etc. For example, there was Vivaldi for my spring necklace collection and Maria Pradera for the summer ones. In addition, I go on YouTube to listen and watch music videos that have similar themes with my collection. Music helps me to construct a better working environment, stay focused on my plans, and inspire me with new idea.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? Well, recommendations sometimes come from magazines, sometimes come from friends, and sometimes comes from my husband. Because I’m interested in traditional textiles and costumes from all over the world, I find very interesting music while doing research on these elements. That traditional music from different countries often has influence on my musical taste.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be? I really like a large variety of music, and it would be very difficult to actually pick out one song or musician that represents everything!

KRIS’S PLAYLIST

Sebastian, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel

The Ship Song, Nick Cave

Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?, Moby

Hope There’s Someone, Antony & the Johnsons

La Chanson des Vieux Amants, Jacques Brel

Le Banquet, Yann Tiersen

Gnossienne No.1, Erik Satie

Postcards from Italy, Beirut

Blue Tears, Black Heart Procession

Space Oddity, David Bowie

Images: Kristina Klarin

What do you listen to while you work? Depending on my mood, I like my music to either have a good amount of rock in it (Hot Snakes, Gun Club, or Can), have some good energy (The Go-Team!, CSS, or Cody ChessnuTT), or be mellow and relaxed (Bon Iver, Andrew Bird, or The Books). I also like to listen to This American Life and Radiolab if I am not in the mood for music. And I recently had a baby, so I’ve been slowly introducing kid-friendly artists into the mix, like They Might be Giants, Alexi Murdoch, and Kimya Dawson, so we won’t get stuck listening to traditional kids songs that will make us go mad.

How do you listen? At work, I used to listen to music with headphones through my computer, but I found that I was having to take them on and off so many times that I decided to get some good Harman Kardon speakers instead. While I am working at home, I usually listen to music through my iPod, which is hooked into a good Altec Lansing speaker dock.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? I’ve been listing to music on thesixtyone.com for a little while now. I also like to check out Last.fm every once in a while.

Does music influence your work? That’s a good question. I like to think it has an influence just anything else that inspires me, but I can’t point to any specific element.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? I would say most of my new music is introduced to me by my friends—they are much more on the pulse than I am! We also have our iTunes libraries shared at work so it is fun to browse the various playlists and see what I can discover.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be? I like to think my work is like The Go! Team. It has a ton of energy, is really fun, and hopefully brings a smile.

ANDY’S PLAYLIST

Can’t You Wait, Geographer

To Rachel or Sharon, Wynn Walent

Flume, Bon Iver

Girl Is On My Mind, The Black Keys

Sex Beat, The Gun Club

Mushroom, Can

Light Sweet Crude, Obits

Bottle Rocket, The Go! Team

Run [I'm A Natural Disaster], Gnarls Barkley

Music Is My Hot, Hot Sex, CSS

Junior Kickstart, The Go! Team

Look Good In Leather, Cody ChessnuTT

Images: Andy Pratt

1. Immediately download the eclectic picks from her playlist.

2. Wish the plant sitting in your office was potted in one of her handmade creations.

3. Finally get yourself tuned into Morning Becomes Eclectic (it’s our third mention in a row—get there already!)

Do you listen to music while you work? This is always changing depending on what the studio mood is, but I always tend to return to a few artists, they feel like old friends…The Magnetic Fields, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Band of Horses, Grizzly Bear. I’ve had Janelle Monae’s album on repeat a lot lately.

How do you listen? We have an iPod docking station in the studio along with a radio so we get our daily dose of NPR.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? I have four assistants, and when we’re not making up playlists off each other’s iPods, we’ve got my iPhone plugged in and playing Pandora. It’s like having a built-in DJ in my studio, and I really like the surprise of not knowing what is coming next. It also introduces me to a lot of new music, since I don’t have a lot of free time to read music blogs or scour Pitchfork.

Does music influence your work? Very much so. I tend to gravitate toward music that has a low-fi, natural, spontaneous quality to it, and I think that directly correlates to my aesthetic, which has an understated, homegrown, rustic imperfection to it that provides a nice contrast to my modern design bents. New collections or designs often spring from a feeling I get from a color or a sound—it’s crucial to my whole sensibility. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes you just have to blast Queen or Lady Gaga and bust out some work; but for the most part, I use music to create a more meditative work atmosphere.

Where do you find music recommendations? My employees are always great about bringing in new music to the studio; I also have a few friends whose taste I trust that will suggest artists. (Word of mouth is the best kind of advertising.) Morning Becomes Eclectic and our local public radio station’s weekend music program In House also introduces me to a lot of new bands.

LISA’S PLAYLIST:

All is Love, Karen O and the Kids

Tennessee, The Silver Jews

Home, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Still Crazy After All These Years , Paul Simon

The Greatest, Cat Power

Sunflower, Low

Shelter from the Storm, Bob Dylan

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, Neutral Milk Hotel

Jesus, etc., Wilco

I Feel It All, Feist

From, Dr. Dog

Sons & Daughters, The Decemberists

Parenthesis, The Blow

Images: Lisa Jones and Alicia Carrier

Do you listen to music while you work? When I work in studio, it’s a lot of really mellow music. I’m on the phone and writing emails a lot, so it needs to be something that can kind of blend into the background. When I’m on set, it tends to be more upbeat and more poppy.

How do you listen? In studio (which I share with my boyfriend), we’re all on a network. So our computers feed into a receiver and through really good speakers. On set, I’ll rent a portable iPod dock or a lot of times I bring this little red speaker that you plug your iPod/iPhone into. It’s small but super loud and is so easy to just throw in a bag and go.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? Well, I’m probably pretty late in the game, but I am really loving Pandora right now.

Does music influence your work? I think music most influences me when I’m working on personal stuff. Not so much on set or when I’m in studio doing all the back-end business stuff. There was a time in college when I was staying up super late, listening to Red House Painters on repeat, and making collages and little books.

Where do you find music recommendations? Most of my music comes from friends, people who know what I like and tell me to download a certain artist or album. I really do love Morning Becomes Eclectic on NPR, but don’t listen to it as much now that I live in NYC.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be? Wow, that’s a really serious question! I’ve been totally in love with the Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack lately—songs by Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The music is so hopeful, sincere, and beautiful. Some songs are really mellow and some move faster with more energy. When I first heard the album, I thought it was all different artists since the songs are so varied. I think I could get behind that album as representative of the range of my work!
ANNA’S PLAYLIST:

Live to Tell the Tale, Passion Pit

Hideaway, Karen O and the Kids

Sorrow Tears and Blood, Fela Kuti

Into the Sun, Diplo

The Only Living Boy in New York, Simon and Garfunkel

Fun Powder Plot, Wild Beasts

No One Does It Like You, Department of Eagles

I Get Low, Timber Timbre

Re: Stacks, Bon Iver

Ash Wednesday, Elvis Perkins

Nickel Bags, Digable Planets

Send It On, D’Angelo

By Your Side, Sade

Hometown Glory, Santigold

Peace Train, Cat Stevens

Two Weeks, Grizzly Bear

Knife, Grizzly Bear

Turn Me On (Kevin Lyttle cover), CocoRosie

Everyman…Everywoman, Yoko Ono

Images: Anna Wolf; Studio Photos: Monica Pendergrass

What do you listen to while you work? When I’m working, I love to listen to upbeat music. My tastes are very eclectic—I could be listening to anything from Elton John and Diana Ross to Linkin Park and Lady Gaga.

How do you listen? I mostly listen to my iPod through my home stereo or sometimes through my computer.

Do you have any favorite music websites? I like Pandora, iTunes, and kcrw.com (especially Eclectic24).

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? My husband, who is very into music, knows my taste and always suggests things. Susan Mazo, a dear friend of mine who works for Warner Music Group, always has great recommendations. And every radio station I listen to—if I hear a song I like, I find out who the artist is and put it on Pandora. I also may hear a good mix in someone’s house and ask, “Who is this??”

Does music influence your work? I love “happy” music—fun, fun! I want my work to put a smile on my clients’ faces, like I would a friend coming for dinner. They walk in the door, they hear fun, happy, upbeat music, you give them a cocktail, and they’re bound to have a great time…

Read on for Lulu’s playlist

LULU’S PLAYLIST

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Diana Ross
Home [Live From Madison Square Garden], Michael Bublé
Tiny Dancer, Elton John
Bleed It Out, Linkin Park
Alejandro, Lady Gaga
The Best Is Yet To Come, Frank Sinatra
Smooth Criminal, Michael Jackson
Thank Heaven for Little Girls, Maurice Chevalier
Coming Around Again, Carly Simon
She Thinks My tractor Is Sexy, Kenny Chesney
Drops of Jupiter, Train
I’ve Gotta Be Me, Sammy Davis, Jr.
Lucky Star, Madonna

The speakers are about 12 inches tall, 7 inches wide, and 7 inches deep. Pretty much perfect for the kitchen sound system if we ever saw one.

According to a friend of a friend over at Cnet, one of the most annoying sacrifices you’ll have to make is dealing with the spring clips for the speaker wire, though we personally don’t see it as much of a problem if the sound is as good as they make it out to be.

If you’re looking for some geeky audiophile speaker talk on the sound quality, you can check out their write-up on the speakers over here. But if you’re going to take the plunge, you’ll be needing a receiver or some sort of amp to drive the passive speakers. Just pick one up from your local thrift store and you’ve got yourself an instant little makeshift stereo system.

You can read more reviews on the speakers over here. Shipping starts at around $11.

[Via Cnet]

By Anthony”

What do you listen to while you work? Lately, I listen to a lot of Fleetwood Mac, Kate Bush, Cocteau Twins, Phil Collins, The Knife, Simon and Garfunkel, Barbara Streisand, The Roches, Edith Piaf, Dead Can Dance, Arthur Russel, Arab Strap, Belle and Sebastian, Wild Beasts, Black Mountain, Echo and the Bunneymen, and Kid Creole and the Coconuts.

How do you listen? We plug our laptops into a sound system in the studio. Lots of times I’ll make a mix for the occasion, so I have a ton of mixes on my laptop with names like “Rainy Sunday in September” or “Rainy Monday Night with Martini” or “Mother’s Day.” (It’s funny—I have a lot of rainy-day mixes.)

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? I look at Pitchfork sometimes. But in general, I hear about new music from my partner Eric, who’s much more plugged in, or from friends.

Does music influence your work? It definitely does. It’s hard to give specific examples, but I sometimes get really emotional when I’m working with flowers. Music, especially when I work alone, tends to add to the experience of checking out of reality and tapping into the subconscious flow or process of creation. Not to sound out-of-control corny, but the bottom line is the pleasure principle—arranging flowers is really pleasurable (incidentally we listen to a lot of Janet Jackson, too). Music just adds to that intrinsically aesthetic process. Wine is nice, too.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? Eric keeps me up to date with new music, which I know very little about. He also listens to a lot of hip-hop and jazz—not always things I would turn on, but enjoy nonetheless. (I mean, I love some Naughty by Nature and Expose.) My friend Aaron is also a walking music-history library. My love of Kate Bush, Cocteau Twins, Julie Cruise and all that weirder late 80′s/early ’90′s ethereal femme jazz comes from his immense record collection.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be? Kate Bush. So feminine, creative, beautiful; ultimately, such an amazing storyteller. She has such an imagination! I aspire to that sort of creative synergy in my life.

Read on for Sarah’s playlist…

SARAH’S PLAYLIST
Ascension Day, Talk Talk

Atom’s Tomb, Electrelane

Running Up That Hill, Kate Bush

He’s a Dream, Shandi

Point of No Return, Expose

Hooting and Howling, Wild Beasts

Oriental Nightfish, Linda McCartney

Runs in the Family, The Roches

America, Simon and Garfunkel

In God’s Country, U2

I Know It’s Over, The Smiths

Passionless Pointless, PJ Harvey and John Parrish

Storms, Fleetwood Mac

Hold Me Now, Thompson Twins

In the Air Tonight, Phil Collins

Never Leave You – Uh Ooh, Uh Oooh!, Lumidee

Images: Sarah Ryhanen

What do you listen to while you work? For years, I’ve listened to the same few jazz albums over and over at work. These particular time-tested selections inspire and focus me because they don’t have lyrics, they’re smooth as silk, and they have just the right energy to stir clear, creative productive work.

How do you listen? Though the little white Apple headphones on my trusty black MacBook, via iTunes.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? Shazam, which identifies almost any song when you hold up your cell phone, is a true miracle of our age. So is Pandora. I’m a big fan of Hear Music’s bricks-and-mortar locations and also like the Genius Recommendations on iTunes.

Does music influence your work? Yes. I learned to play the mandolin as an adult and got a deep appreciation for acoustic American hillbilly music along the way. Click here for the essay I wrote on the subject for Reader’s Digest.

Where do you find music recommendations? My brother has an ear for the obscure and the funky. My friend Larry opens my eyes to African soul. I often ask people I interview—including musicians—what their go-to iPod tunes are.

What song or artist best represents the work you create? Perhaps Louis Armstrong. He played the spectrum from silly pop to complicated jazz to deep blues. That’s roughly the territory I cover as a writer.

DAVID’S PLAYLIST:

Lionel Hampton – Mostly Blues

Bye Bye Blues

Someday My Prince Will Come

Take the “A” Train

Blues for Jazz Beaux

Walkin’ Uptown

Honeysuckle Rose

Mostly Blues

Limehouse Blues

Gone With the Wind

Ray Charles – Blues + Jazz, Disc 2

The Man I Love

Music, Music, Music

I Surrender Dear

Hornful Soul

Ain’t Misbehavin’

Doodlin’

Sweet Sixteen Bars

Undecided

Rockhouse, Parts 1 & 2

X-Ray Blues

Love On My Mind

Fathead

Bill for Bennie

Hard Times

Willow Weep For Me

The Spirit-Feel

Stephane Grappelli – The Compact Jazz Collection

Djangology

I’m Coming Virginia

Misty

Shine

Blues for Django and Stephane

Chicago

Makin’ Whoopee

Hot Lips

Minor Swing

This Can’t Be Love

Star Eyes

It Don’t Mean a Thing

Oriental Shuffle

My Heart Stood Still

Afternoon in Paris

Images: David Hochman

2Michaels—a Manhattan-based interior design firm run by identical twin sisters Jayne Michaels and Joan Michaels—is known for its spare, timeless, and undecorated style. Between design projects ranging from a Tribeca loft and a beachfront cottage on Martha’s Vineyard, Jayne talked to us about her work, the musicians that filled her childhood home, and realizing a new taste for classical music.

What do you listen to while you work? Right now, I’m listening to the classical radio station WQXR, which recently became listener-supported. I had never been a huge lover of classical music, but I’m drawn to it now. It calms me; even some the broadcasters’ voices have a soothing quality (Midge Woolsey in particular). I’m rediscovering Debussy, Prokofiev, Bach, Beethoven, and even Gershwin.

How do you listen? I listen from a speaker system. I also listen to my iPod quite a bit.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? I used to listen to Rhapsody before getting an Apple computer (Rhapsody isn’t compatible with my Mac). Now I occasionally listen to ITunes and Pandora.

Does music influence your work? Music has always been an important part of my life.  My aunt was a bass player (upright); my brother, too (electric)—he even built a recording studio in the garage of our house. We’d come home from school and find various musicians sprawled on the furniture, playing their instruments. It was somehow comforting and also inspiring. I loved the creative atmosphere, crackling with possibilities and wonder. It’s carried with me in the choice of my career in the arts. I thrive in a creative atmosphere where ideas flow and boundaries are pushed.

Where do you find music recommendations? I have musician friends who keep me updated. I also follow music blogs and music critics from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Who influences your musical taste? The Brits have been the biggest influence. I grew up listening to The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Kate Bush, The Cure, U2, etc.

What artist best represents the work you create? There’s spontaneity to Radiohead’s music (at least it sounds that way). They’re distinct, unpredictable, and intelligent without being pretentious and hollow.

If your work was a song, what would it be? Lennon/ McCartney’s “A Hard Day’s Night.”

JAYNE’S PLAYLIST

Way to Blue, Nick Drake

Cambodia, Paul Motain

When It Falls, Zero7

Break on Through, The Doors

The Moon and the Sky, Sade

Acknowledgement, John Coltrane

Tomorrow Never Knows, The Beatles

Ain’t No Use, Nina Simone

Inside a Boy, My Brightest Diamond

Leyenda, Andres Segovia

The Look of Love, Dusty Springfield

Hope Street Tunnel Blues, Bruce Brubaker

The Collector, Charlotte Gainsbourg

I’m Not in Love, 10cc

Concierto de Aranjuez, Miles Davis

Running up the Hill, Kate Bush

Romulus, Sufjan Stevens

Quel Espoir, Beau Soleil

The Very Thought of You, Billie Holiday

It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding), Bob Dylan

Fever, Peggy Lee

Images: Jayne Michaels

What do you listen to while you work? Joe and I work apart during much of the day, as I am home with our children and work from a home office and he is at our workshop downtown. I listen to a very eclectic mix of music with the kids. This month’s heavy rotation has included The Beatles, Paul Simon, Greg Laswell, and Siouxsie and the Banshees (OK, and some kiddo rock, too: The Jimmies). Joe tends to listen Oasis, The Jam, The Clash, Trex, Stiff Little Fingers, and The Stones. He loves punk rock.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? We love Pandora. And I also have to say I love a little YouTube for videos.

Does music influence your work? We are very much into the creative process at Little Alouette. We often work from simple text notes or ideas we sketch out in notebooks for other—then we’ll come together in the workshop and listen to music and drink coffee and plan. Disco is cool and always makes us happy. Our line contains this text on each tag (and it is so true): “Each product is made by hand and usually all the wood is surrounded by cups of tea, laughing children, and disco music—so each product will come to you infused with love and bliss!”

Where do you find music recommendations? I tend to listen to a good friend from childhood who always has her pulse on the indie scene. Twitter is also awesome as folks tend to tweet songs often. I still read music mags like Rolling Stone and NPR’s music blog each month. Joe is very traditional and has loved a lot of the same music for years—but he gets new music ideas from Pandora suggestions and his pub buddies.

What song or artist best represents the work you create? Narrative is king for me. I like a good story. The Indigo Girls have always been good music for me to create to—they are a little tough and a little mushy at the same time. They blend politics and love and the world all at once, and they have inspired me since 1992 when I sat in a tiny dorm alcove and heard them for the first time at Ohio University. It’s much like our company. Little Alouette is not just about the product—it is about the story. The family. The love. And the passion.

AMY’S PLAYLIST

Via Chicago, Wilco

Galileo, Indigo Girls

This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody), Talking Heads

Winter Winds, Mumford & Sons

Whatever You Like, TI

Sweethearts, Camper Van Beethoven

Slow Show, The National

Divorce Song, Liz Phair

Gillian, The Waifs

Brian Wilson, Barenaked Ladies

Gypsy, Suzanne Vega

Cannonball, The Breeders

Images: Amy Turn Sharp

What do you listen to while you work? Andre: While I’m working, I usually like down-tempo stuff like dubstep or chop n’ screw. Nothing that’s too energetic or fast-paced. Dan: I am mostly into indie rock and some older rock and hip hop.

How do you listen? A: We all have headphones, but also have a sound system. D: At the office, I usually work with headphones on—one ear in and one ear out—so I can hear the phone and not be a total ass by blocking everyone out.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? A: On a daily basis, I check out nahright.com for mostly rap and hip hop. Whenever I want to stock up on some new mix tapes, I to go mixtapetorrent.com. Sometimes I check out voodoofunk.blogspot.com for these great West-African records, most of which are pretty hard to find. Most recently I found a blog of Bulgarian metal that I used to listen to as a kid, which is great because most of the early recordings were only on tape. D: Pitchfork, Pandora, Nodata, and Sordomusic.

Does music influence your work? D: Very much so. Music has been a huge influence in our work from the beginning. We started designing small runs of screen-printed posters, merch, and albums for our friends in college. After school, this helped us get jobs at MTV. And when we left to start Dress Code, we continued to design albums and merch for our friends’ bands, as well as starting to direct music videos.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? A: It’s mostly friends. I trust their taste when it comes to a genre. For instance, Jon sends me a lot of dance and electro; Matt sends me mostly southern rap; Shannon just sent me some dubstep. When I lived in Seattle, I used to listen to KEXP all the time; to this day, I still turn it on to hear some new eclectic mix. D: Most of my friends are really into music as well so I get a lot of recommendations from them. And my brother has always been a big influence on my musical taste. He has been in a ton of bands and has a great ear.

What song or artist best represents the work you create? A: This might sound like a joke, but I would say Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em. Why? He is young and naive, yet confident and successful. So many people hate on him, but he still turns out hits. His music production is totally DIY and stripped down—it reminds me of early punk when musicians barely knew how to play their instruments. There is an energy with him that I can associate with. D: ODB. Because there ain’t no father to his style.

Andre’s Playlist
Turn My Swag On, Soulja Boy

Hustlin’, Rick Ross

I Know Why, Gucci Mane

Straight Out The Rarri, Young Jeezy

I Got, Three 6 Mafia

Standing in the Kitchen, Yo Gotti

A Milli, Lil Wayne

Chevy a monsta, Rich Boy

So in Love, Shawty Lo

Growing Pains, Ludacris

Dan’s Playlist
Starring, Freelance Whales

Osaka Loop Line, Discovery

Two of Us, The Beatles

Hand Me Down Your Love, Hot Chip

Birds On Ice, Shook Ones

Beaches and Friends (Hey Champ Remix), French Horn Rebellion Vs. Database

Foreground, Grizzly Bear

Hayloft, Mother Mother

Home, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

I Don’t Wanna Hear It, Minor Threat

Transylvanian Candy Patrol, Savoir Adore

Images: Dress Code

Designer, bookbinder, and paper lover Emily Hamma Martin has her hands full. Not only does she offer design services and handmade paper goods through her design business, Orange Beautiful, but she is also in the middle of renovating and opening a new store in Chicago (check out her shop’s progress here). Between lighting installations and the sanding and polishing the store’s wooden floors, she took a minute to tell us how music plays a part in her creative process. (P.S. We’re noticing that a lot of our music profiles mention Pandora. What are you listening to?)

What do you listen to while you work? That all depends.  If I’m doing production or printing—where there’s a lot of repetitive steps— I tend to listen to more upbeat music. I’m a huge fan of Kenna, and the band Metric, so those two are my go-to groups when I need to get a lot of work done. But my upbeat list also includes a lot of 80s and 90s music: Madonna, The Cardigans, Garbage, Kylie Minogue, and, well, Ace of Base. If I’m doing more computer-based work, like designing or correspondence—things that require more of concentration—then I’ll listen to something just a tad bit more laid back: Jem, The Bird and The Bee, or Kings of Convenience.

How do you listen? In the studio, I listen to music on my computer through a set of external Logitech speakers with a sub-woofer (which sounds great, but my downstairs neighbors might not like it so much).

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? In the last few months, I’ve switched over to listening to music almost exclusively on Pandora. I was going with the free X-amount of hours at first, but those ads were just too annoying. Oh, and the fact that I’d have to stop working every five to six songs to tell it that I was “still listening.” Now, I’m a paid subscriber (it’s like $12/year), and I can have constant music with the only interruption being that I want to change the channel.

Does music influence your work? Do you have an example? My immediate response to this question was “No, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t”—but then I realized that it has actually DIRECTLY affected my work. One of the designs from my first card line has a floral motif with the phrase “Miss You Much” on the front. That is a definitely paying homage to the Janet Jackson song of the same name, which I listened to endlessly when I was eleven years old.

I also have a holiday card that simply says “holiday…celebrate” on the front. Yep, that’s from Madonna’s “Holiday,” which came out when I was five. So, I guess succinct-yet-poignant lyrics not only stand the test of time, they also translate well into greeting cards.

Where do you find music recommendations?  Who influences your musical
taste? When I was 20, I studied abroad in Scotland at the Glasgow School of Art. I really came into a much greater appreciation for more unique music while I was there—a lot of which I still listen to today. The groups that I’ve continued to follow from my time there include Stereophonics, Gomez, and Travis, just to name a few.

Nowadays, pretty much all of my music recommendations come from my boyfriend, who writes, plays, and records his own music. He plays in a Chicago band called Absinthe & the Dirty Floors and also runs his own independent record label, Sidedown Audio. It’s hard not to find out about new music with him around. Many of our days off are spent walking to the local record store and looking for old vinyl, or buying the newest CD release.

What song or artist best represents the work you create? Justin Timberlake. He’s had a long career, starting at a very young age; has reinvented himself several times, while still remaining true to his talent; and he used to like Britney Spears.

EMILY’S PLAYLIST

I am so thrilled to finally be posting this story. Amy has a started a ‘Playlist’ series that will run each Wednesday. We’ll ask people what they listen to while they work and offer up their ultimate playlists. We’d love to hear from you. What are you listening to? Cerentha

Writer Nichole Robertson has a thing for Paris—and fortunately for us, she documents her busy life shuttling between the City of Lights and her permanent home near NYC over at Little Brown Pen. Between crafting ad copy for brands like Amala Skincare, Espirit, and Real Simple, running a popular etsy shop all from her home office and running after two young sons, we asked her to whip up a cup of coffee (lots of cream; just a pinch of sugar), crank up the tunes, and tell us how music inspires her work.

What do you listen to while you work? Most days, it’s either the Smiths, Jeff Buckley, or Camera Obscura. I’ve been an obsessed Smiths fan since I was in high school. I never tire of Morissey’s delicious whining.

How do you listen? I do pretty much everything on the computer (I often wonder if there is an invisible chain), so usually it’s iTunes. I share a home office with my husband, Evan (who also works from home as a business development consultant) so sometimes he plays music through his super cool music geek speakers. My only beef is that they are not white, which violates my anal monochromatic office theme.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? I was obsessed with Pandora when it first came out. Since I rarely step out of my musical comfort zone (exhibit a: same favorite band since high school), Pandora is a way to break me out of my shell a bit. I’ve yet to commit to any of the songs or bands, but it’s nice to be able to maintain a consistent musical vibe throughout the day.

Does music influence your work? Do you have an example? Funny, but as I was pulling together a collection of gray photos I took in Paris, my husband noted that Morrissey would approve. I was listening to Girlfriend in a Coma. When I’m working, I rarely listen to newly released music. Most of it is at least 5 years old, and this is sometimes embarrassing.

Where do you find recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? My husband is also a guitarist, and has played in various bands in an NYC since he was 16 (his current band is called The Petersons). He has very strong opinions about good music, and when I do branch out of my tightly edited favorites, he’s usually responsible. He introduced me to Airborne Toxic Event, Ozomatli, Morphine, and Mike Doughty. As you can see, his tastes are on the dated side as well, but at least it’s dated and different.

What song or artist best represents the work you create? I often joke that Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” is my theme song. Not only was I that small town girl willing to take a train to anywhere, whenever I hear it I feel like I can do things like sell off my possessions and move to Paris. Steve Perry is likely responsible for all of the risk taking and rash decisions I’ve made so far in life.

READ ON FOR NICHOLE’S PLAYLIST

NICHOLE’S PLAYLIST

American Car, Mike Doughty

Last Goodbye, Jeff Buckley

Tempted, Squeeze

Cut Chemist Suite, Ozomatli

French Navy, Camera Obscura

New Slang, The Shins

Lilah, Morphine

Only Living Boy in New York, Simon and Garfunkel

Pretty Good Year, Tori Amos

The Other End of the Telescope, Elvis Costello

No Surprises, Radiohead

Shimmer, Fuel

Here’s Where the Story Ends, The Sundays