We went out for lunch yesterday to celebrate the publication of the paperback of Bob’s book A Little History of Music. Here’s to a whole new bunch of readers!
Everything in the restaurant was nice except for the music playing in the background. It was a dreary, drifty piano album of unceasing dullness.
Infuriatingly, it was impossible to ignore it, and I found myself wondering if a real pianist had been employed to play this soul-sapping stuff. The piano was a digital one, and as the music droned on with no change of pace, I started wondering if there were any humans involved in the production at all. Could the whole thing be AI-generated – made up and played by computer programmes? This is the kind of development which all musicians have been fearing.
I imagine the music was calculated to be ‘backgroundish’ without distracting the diners from their conversation or their meal, but for us (both musicians, of course) it had the opposite effect. We felt compelled to listen, and to lament.
One of our favourite local restaurants plays classic instrumental jazz at low volume. As we eat, we feel compelled to follow that too, but with pleasure.
I am very uncomfortable with a lot of the music played in public spaces, particularly retail shops. I get very stressed when it is too loud or just not to my taste and have to leave.
Paula, I know what you mean! Some of us are just more sensitive to music than others, and amplified music is a particular problem.
You might call me a bit of a cynic but I believe that some restaurants play what I call “elevator music” to take diners’ minds off of their mediocre food!
In my 86 years I’ve had the pleasure of dining in some exceptional restaurants and I can’t recall one that played background music! And equally , I have never seen anyone eating a sandwich in a concert hall…
Thank you everyone for your comments today. Clearly background music is a topic that concerns a lot of us!
I remember hearing a discussion once on TV in which several distinguished chefs were asked what music they would listen to if they were dining in their own homes … as far as I recall, they all said ‘no music’. If that is their preference, I wonder why they think we diners want music?
I often have to ask for background music to be turned down as I cannot hear what is being said by my fellow diners. The music is more often than not too distracting and rarely music that I like. Also when making a phone call and being put on hold you are often suddenly blasted with music and it makes no difference if I complain as the next time it is no better! Background music has its place and can enhance the atmosphere but only at the right level and suitable almost nondescript, music.
So-called background music can be extremely enervating. My doctor’s telephone hold music is so banal it becomes quite excruciating as the minutes tick by. Still worse I find the insensitive use of great works as wallpaper in television documentaries. Andre Previn quite seriously suggested prosecution for such artistic crimes! I’m not sure I would go that far, but regularly hearing people talking all over ‘Nimrod’ almost drives me to it…
Yup. Agree with all of this. Also having recently seen a report about how noise is affecting our general well being it is infuriating that silence is not an option…
I recently went to a party where the level of music was loud enough to preclude any kind of speech though most people made a pretence of attempting it. But that dreary sort of endless loop stuff you get in beauty salons etc which is supposed to be relaxing (?) drives me completely wild.
Good point, Jen – that music designed to be relaxing can make some of us feel quite wild …!