Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum Your favorite "background music" pieces?

I am reminded of a play in which the a nervous mother wants the 20 year old daughter to help decorate a 3 foot high plastic Christmas tree. The daughter announces "I am not going to waste my artistic talent on that pathetic little tree!"

(Both characters were played by men dressed as women. They speak in a Southern drawl. Daughter in sweat pants with padded hips etc. LOL.)

Anyway, I say go ahead and use your artistic talent in people's daily lives. It matters to people.

I didn't say anything about playing it. I hate listening to it. I can't "not" listen to it. It's distracting.

Why not use some William Gillock and Robert Vandall pieces? I haven't played publicly for a while but when I've had last minute gigs, I'll use some nice Gillock and Vandall pieces. I learned some of Robert Vandall's preludes while growing up and liked them so much that I still read through them for pleasure. They really sound nice and you can always improvise on them if you like. As stated before, it's a good idea to play something that sounds nice and that you are very comfortable playing. Nothing flashy or terribly tricky. Some George Winston and Ludovico Einaudi pieces might work nicely, too.
Einaudi example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8lAW1weiMc
Winston example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fN46MheyPU (ok, not his song but an arrangement by him)

I got Quiet Classics thanks to this thread! So, thank you!

Also, count me in the group of those who don't like music as background, either I give it all my attention or none. I'm in grad school right now, and I cannot study with music playing! I do not get that at all.

Hi ShiroKuro,
Seeing your name reminds me to polish River Flows In You. It's also a good background piece.

Some people overdo it with background music-- listening while doing an activity that requires concentration or listening at bedtime to go to sleep. I don't get that either.

But background music is sometimes of more interest than foreground activities. I recall having dental work accompanied by "My my my my Shirona" in the background. It was great to have something to focus on and it struck my funny bone the way the drilling sound accompanied the music.

And all due respect to the Chop Wood, Carry Water approach to mindless tasks. I agree that menial tasks can be made into a meditation. But often when washing dishes or driving a car I'd rather sing along with background music.

Oh my, the memories you bring back! I cannot block out background music and or not listen actively. During one dental treatment they had my mouth pried open doing some long and complicated procedure. There was a song playing that cycled through the same refrain over and over, and the singer was straining at the top note each time and I'd start to tense whenever that part was coming up. Finally both the song and that part of the procedure was done. I said "That was painful!" They "The procedure?" Me "No, the music!" Then I sat bolt upright and totally howled with laughter I'd been holding in for about 5 minutes. Their puzzled faces made all the more funny.


That is something that I can relate to.

Yes, I know what you mean keystring. Background music can also be worse than going through a dental procedure. Depends on the music.

Haha, yes. I attended an open-house event and there was a pianist playing background music. I was there for at least an hour and the pianist played "Three Coins in the Fountain" the.....whole.....time....