So i know how much we all enjoy listening to music or having the TV on in the "background" whilst working, and we are all really good at convincing ourselves that it helps our concentration. But, it turns out that it actually has the opposite effect, surprisingly. Whilst reading The Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams, the director of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, i have learned that his first lesson is to make sure you have turned off your music and face the silence because it will improve your animation right away. Williams, himself, used to be a fan of listening to classical music or jazz while working, but things soon changed after one of his first visits to Milt Kahl. When asking Milt whether he listened to classical music while working, the response was a somewhat unforgettable experience and since then has taught Williams to put up with the silence, passing his wisdom on to others.
Personally speaking, music is key to my long working sessions. If it is quiet I can almost hear myself thinking, I can hear an almost ringing in my ear, and I just can't stand the silence one bit. I simply feel that Milt is quite a lot older than ourselves, so perhaps it is harder for him to concentrate on more than one thing at once. I to found that quite interesting, and tried it, but I could feel myself going insane after a few hours of silence.
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