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I don't usually listen to music while I cook, but I do hum. Tonelessly and endlessly. Usually I get a few bars of a song stuck in my head and I hum it over and over. I don't know that I'm doing it, and it's not as bad when I'm alone in the kitchen as when I worked in a cubicle farm. The woman next to me would leap, roaring, over the divider between our cubes and would threaten me with major bodily harm. At least in the kitchen I have weapons for my defense.

Quite a few people here cook to music...

http://www.seriouseats.com/talk/2007/07/listening-to-music-while-cooki.html
http://www.seriouseats.com/talk/2008/10/punk-rock-kitchen.html

Looks like I haven't changed much in 7 months...when I do cook, I still listen to the same stuff.

It depends on the situation for me. If I am not in a hurry, I love listening to some music while cooking, especially some Amy Winehouse (shes the best)

If I am in a hurry or need to really focus on getting the food on the plate and to the table, I definitely turn the music down or off.

Well...Saturdays at 3pm have become our Grateful Dead hour, (our local, NPR station) so I'm usually making pizza dough and free falling-improv for Sunday's dinner. They hit the mood for Saturday afternoon and we don't have as much of the Dead in our collection as we should.
We have a Chess Blues collection that is really terrific, particularly when you're doing grunt work, be it kitchen or yard, just hits the right tones and mood.
Radio Paradise, an online site is a great eclectic site to listen to. And well, when you have 1000+ cd's arranged by artist, it's nice to have someone else do the mixing. Lord knows the hassel that will come this summer when I sit down and add all the kids' cd's they've bought over the last 6 months.
But to the original comment...sometimes I love cooking to music...other times just give me the sound of my knife.

Yes..I have this great CD of Italian classics that my cousin downloaded for me -an eclectic mix too--some of the songs are from movies, some fun, some campy, some serious-it's all good--- ranging to rock ....Aerosmith, Led Zep, The Doors, Cream etc etc to Southern Rock-Skynyrd, Allman Brothers etc...whatever inspires me that day I guess..

Sure! But since I screwed up a basic bread recipe last night cause I didn't read the recipe right I probably don't need ANY distractions while I bake.

Pristine silence for me. I have to have quiet in the kitchen. I HATE other people in the kitchen, especially one friend who chatters constantly and will take two hours to grate carrots because she stops what she is doing every time she tells a story! Kids under foot, the "bar" my OH makes in the kitchen when we have a crowd, the stinking hum of the oven fan (that drives me INSANE!) I would never dream of listening to music or a radio - I guess that all sounds strange, but that is how I do my best work. It is like my brain works on one thing - getting the food on the table.

I used to spin some vinyl everytime I was in the kitchen...mostly jazz...that and a glass of wine would put me in the perfect mood to create.

Nowadays it seems like I'm always trying to cook while watching some type of sporting event...maybe thats why I seem to be low on creativity lately.

Maybe its time to revisit some of those old records.

When I lived alone for a while I decided to buy a record player for my kitchen. I listen to it occasionally, I have a collection of stuff I wouldn't otherwise buy like Herb Alpert, Blue Oyster Cult, Cat Stevens, Amy Winehouse...groovy cooking music. I also have a playlist on my mp3 player of lots of my favorite music and when I'm baking I stick the player in my apron pocket.

Absolutely! I love turning on the tunes and singing with my spoon! I was flipping through the cable music the other day and found some "Throwback Jamz" from the 90's - I was singing all the songs from my 'teenhood. Loved it!

Sometimes it's country or jazz, sometimes it's the record player, it all depends on what I'm cooking.

Music is a must for when I cook and bake. I always put my laptop on the counter beside me (with a piece of plastic wrap over it for protection) and blast whatever I'm in the mood for. I've only tried cooking/baking a few times without music, mostly because I tend to mess something up or stress out. I especially love having music playing while I'm entertaining in the kitchen. I think it puts everyone at ease (along with a nice glass of wine).

Music is an integral part of almost any activity I am involved in, and cooking is no exception.

I find that solid tempo music is the best. No dramatic lulls in tempo to slow down, nor balls out ferocity to overwhelm.

On the rock side I find most Rush, Ac/Dc, Clutch or even Alice in Chains to be fitting.

On the Metallic side of things, Candlemass, Blind Guardian, Manowar, or early Sabbath.

The pinnacle of house cleaning/cooking music? Van Halen's 1. Outrageously suitable. Never leaves my player for very long.

totally depends on my mood. either silence or blasting the music. though it has to be a playlist or album i can listen to all the way through -- i hate having to stop what i'm doing and walk across the room to change the song!

I cook/bake to music 90% of the time, it provides some companionship and background noise :)

@studyzone-- Carmina Burana is the greatest!!! The version with Robert Shaw conducting is permanently tattooed on my brain, I've listened to it so many times. The only suitable thing one could cook to such music is a giant explosive flambe' of some sort.... ??

I can't listen to music while cooking--my brain just can't do the two things simultaneously. I listen to TV reruns or movies I have watched a zillion times already so I don't have to actually watch what's going on, I just listen. I Tivo a certain (embarrassing) sitcom and play that back almost every day. Also, can't cook in silence.

I'm a Mexican, I must.

I have watched TV while cooking but don't have control over the downstairs TV much of the day now so I prefer my mp3 player. I find the Food Network just annoys me too much during the daytime so I go for the Travel Channel - they have better food-centric shows anyway.

I almost forgot that I used to listen to stand up comedy CDs a lot when I lived with my parents. A really fun way to spend an evening is baking cookies while laughing at one of your favorite comics.

If it is a day long cooking thing, I have classical on. If we are cooking together in the evening there will be mojitos or caiprainas and cuban or south american music.

Salsa / latino music while cooking RULES!

I'm a pretty big music fan, and usually have the headphones going while I am on the subway, walking in the neighborhood, shopping... But when I cook, I actually like complete silence. However, I love the background noise of the city as I prepare meals – sirens, cars driving through rain, kids out from school, neighbors walking up and down the stairs, etc. I find it fills my head just enough.

I like to listen to Van Morrison when I cook. Both activities seem spiritual and connected for some reason. I agree though that silence when baking is essential. Concentrate.

Yes I do. Especially Z.Z.Top. It gets me in the mood for the T.V. I am going to eat.

If Wheel of Fortune isn't on in the background, I will usually listen to music.... my friend even has a playlist on her ipod called "Salmon" -- more here: http://dishthisboston.blogspot.com/2009/04/cooking-music-salmon-playlist.html

I love cooking with music in the background. Especially when I'm in the prep stage. It's nice to get a good rhythm going.

I like to cook in complete silence.
shhhhhhhh