Mobile music vs. actual sound?

[Captain_Psycho]

I am a university student looking at how we have developed ways of removing oursleves from our physical environment. Obviously the Ipod has had a profound impact in this respect and I thought that as part of my research I would open the discussion to a public forum. I am interested in how the Ipod and other such devices effect the way you experience places or activities, behave in certain places or situations, or whatever else. I am also curiouse about how this relates to the sensory input proveded by the natural conditions of those environments. (PS. don't worry I will not quote anyone directly without first asking permission.)

[Captain_Psycho]

In the interst of clarity (though I am not looking for any specific discussion) I would like to tell you how this came about. I am an architecure student and as part of my project I was asked to invent a device that helped to measure the way we experince a space. The device I created, in a rather primative way, removed the audio experince of the space from the personal experience of the space, and projected it through my headphones. This came about because In first visiting the site I was listening to my Ipod and did not hear the actual sounds of the site. As a result my understanding and experince of the place was dramatically altered. Your input on this phenominon is what I am primarily looking for, but offshoots of the thought are welcome as they will provide context for the discussion.

[Chanelly8908]

Listening to certain songs put me in certain frame of mind which then affects how I experience the environment around me. Some songs make me feel up-beat and happy. Other songs are calming and relaxing. Also certain songs bring back memories. For me, songs have a emoitional impact on my mood.

[Captain_Psycho]

does that ever change how you act or move through the space, does it ever make you leave a space? If so how strong is the effect, does it vary based on the strength of the music?

[Chanelly8908]

Yes, music does change the way I move through the space. Sometimes it puts in a lighter mood and I look at the environment from a positive prospective and yes the intensity of the music effects how much my mood changes.

[Captain_Psycho]

what about the social aspect of those environments? do you use the ipod to tune out other people specifically or just the environment in general (or neither)? Does it work? do you find that people leave you alone when you are listening to music or not? does it depend on weather you know them or not? Do you find that you're ipod is a good people watching tool, making you unintrusiv and inconspicuouse? thanks for the help by the way youre imput is much appreciated.

[Chanelly8908]

Sometimes I do use my ipod to tune out the people around me or noise when I'm at my school cafeteria. Mostly when I listen to my ipod, it's to enhance how I experience the environment around me. I do like to people watch and I do listen to my ipod while people watching. People don't seem to mind me people watching when I am listening to my ipod because I don't think they realize I might be watching them; I think they figure I would be paying attention to my ipod, so they don't pay attention to me. When I listen to my ipod strangers leave me alone. The only people who still talk to me while I listen to my ipod are family and close friends. I don't really mind most of the time if someone bothers me while I'm listening to my ipod. When people come up to me while I listen to my ipod, it reminds that there are other people around me and allows me to interact with them instead of staying in my own little world. It's a really check.

[Captain_Psycho]

thanks for the input, I don't have any more specific questions for you but if you have anything that you would like to add I would be most appreciative. You have given me a lot to think about, and have given context to what I have read.

[Chanelly8908]

Just to add. I bring my ipod almost everywhere. I love music. I love to listen to music and play music on the piano. I don't think I could live without music. I try to make music a part of almost everything I do where it is possible to have music.