Harvard Extended's music playlist

In the four years I've been attending classes at the Harvard Extension School and the Harvard Summer School, I've found that certain types of music are conducive to writing and research. Classical music -- especially solo instrumentation -- is good. Low-key jazz works, too. Math rock and progressive rock help keep the pace going. Some trance is OK.

But pop, dance, or anything too fast, or anything with "hooks" is distracting. Punk is too fast, and, for certain bands like Green Day, has too many hooks. Hip-hop is too fun. Rap: Too lyrical -- you have to pay attention to the words.

So, here's Harvard Extended's recommended and not recommended playlists for writing a thesis. If there is no title after the artist, assume that it means anything by that artist.

Recommended:

Tool: 10,000 days
Tool: Lateralus
Andres Segovia (classical guitar)
Julian Bream (classical guitar)
Yo-Yo Ma solo cello
Vladimir Ashkenazy
Sounds Eclectic Too
Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
DJ Shadow


Out of this list, I've listened to Tool and Chris Cornell tonight. The classical music usually is played on the weekends, especially in the afternoon, when I am in my study and working on my thesis while my son takes his afternoon nap. There's nothing like listening to Yo-Yo Ma on a quiet Sunday afternoon in the fall, regardless of the weather!

Not recommended:

And here's the music I've tried to study to, because I like it, but had to turn off, because it was too distracting:

Queens of the Stone Age
Chris Cornell: Euphoria Morning
Radiohead: OK Computer
Chavez: Gone Glimmering
Beck: Sea Change
The Jesus Lizard: Goat
Steve Miller Band
Weezer
De La Soul: Three Feet High And Rising
Done Lying Down
Screaming Trees