I don’t, I’d rather listen for the call of an eagle, the songs of other birds, the splash of fish and my own situational awareness. What about you?
I agree completely. There is so much to hear when out in nature, and eliminating that part makes no sense to me at all. Taking it a step further, when paddling tiny rivers there’s no telling whether that little rustle in the grass or those splashes just out of sight in the marsh might turn out to be a rare and wonderful wildlife sighting. I like your mention of your own situational awareness too. I probably wouldn’t have thought of that one, but I realize it makes a lot of sense. I do love music, but that’s why I have a killer stereo at home! I can leave that behind when I’m out in a boat (or hiking, etc.).
Almost never.
I once went on a trip where a guy had a speaker system set up in his boat. Match that with the guy’s chain smoking and you start to get an idea of why I usually go solo.
Nope never have and never will
Also the cell phone stays off and in a dry bag
Why go out to get away from it all only to take it with you?
Always when doing LSD paddles or practicing different strokes here at home. I use an iPod Nano with earbuds.
Music energizes me and I have a nice playlist of primarily alternative music. Would never, ever use a speaker; only earbuds (sometimes I wish I had a cannon so I could shoot out the speakers of the wave boats the summer people use).
Once in a while on Lake Michigan, if I"m tired, have miles to go before I reach my car and the conditions are quiet.
Never if there’s a lot of boat traffic, the rare occasions when I’m on a river, or if I’m exploring an area for the first time.
But I don’t sing along with the music. 
There is a drug rehab center on the Ocklawaha river. They use drum therapy, and drum circles. So as you paddle on down the river you hear drums…kinda like there was the game Jumaji in the woods.
I never bring music. But there is an outdoor cafe by the local river on a stretch I sometimes practice poling through. Live music there in summer is usually quite good and appropriate for the setting, IMO. What really makes it good, is I am usually the only one on the river there.
Everywhere else - the water and wildlife sounds are all the music I need or want.
I’m with you, Andy. In fact I’ve been working on identifying birds by sound alone for awhile. Now that I’ve retired I’m getting a little better at it. Some years back I was paddling around Shackleford Banks and some folks were on an anchored power boat with obscenely loud music blasting. It was downright offensive. If they were trying to establish their territory it worked. I went far away.
The sounds of nature are more than enough for me and I’m also a bird watcher (listener?).
What I find really ridiculous is listening to music while motorcycling. When I ride I want all my senses at their peak, it’s dangerous enough on the roads without seriously compromising my hearing.
I have a number of playlists of music I really enjoy on my phone. But in the woods or on the water I prefer natures sound tract. I will play the flutes I make in camp or at rest sometimes,
Some years ago I paddled near a long house where the first nations had gathered. Drums were beating at a pace near enough to our paddling cadence that it was difficult not to adjust the cadence to synchronize with the beat. Otherwise I don’t paddle to music, but for those who do - does your cadence sometimes get driven by the music?
I almost always take my pocket radio along and either listen to music, or radio programs. But then, I don’t paddle on little rivers in the woods. The only sounds out on the water is the wind and maybe a screeching seagull, or osprey carrying on as I paddle by. Oh yeah and usually enough power boat engines that need drowning out.
The sounds of nature are more than enough for me and I’m also a bird watcher (listener?).
What I find really ridiculous is listening to music while motorcycling. When I ride I want all my senses at their peak, it’s dangerous enough on the roads without seriously compromising my hearing.
Sometimes I do listen to music esp practicing freestyle. Oddly enough music has attracted birds such as loons… And once a turkey vulture and a cormorant shared a rock listening and watching. That was eerie.
On my canoe trips however no music. I am not portaging anything unnecessary
I completely agree with most of the sentiment already posted here. I would hate to miss nature’s songs by masking it with artificially generated human sounds.
However, there are certain tunes that I have always thought, and held in my head, that perfectly match paddling activity. The music from the movie “Last of the Mohicans” in particular. When I hear it I envision paddling a narrow winding wilderness river, turning the bends to reveal whats beyond while “Promontory” plays in my head. But I would never disturb nature by actually playing it while paddling.
On the other hand, When I train in the winter for canoe racing on the Yukon ( as I have done several times since 2008), I sit on a paddling machine in front of a wide screen TV connected to my computer that is “flying” on my planned route down the river in Google Earth, as I memorize the locations of each island and bend in the river. I have cranked up on earphones or speakers in front of me my favorite energetic tunes, mostly from the Epic genre, such as “Two Steps From Hell” and the like, or with my favorite inspiring Celtic. After a winter’s worth of sessions of that I feel fit and ready for some quiet water paddling with my race team and race strategizing.
@yknpdlr said:
energetic tunes, mostly from the Epic genre, such as “Two Steps From Hell” and the like
I like it. Can you suggest more like this? I find it hard to find good songs in this genre because they aren’t in your face like other types of music.
@rsevenic said:
Some years ago I paddled near a long house where the first nations had gathered. Drums were beating at a pace near enough to our paddling cadence that it was difficult not to adjust the cadence **to synchronize with the beat.
**
Which is why many racers play up beat music when they train. It gets the cadence up.
I was laying out the foundations for The Landing in Jacksonville. I think there were around 990 pilings… Which all means a lot of pile driving. Often we found that our steps walking across the big sand box were in time to the pile driver. Dancers dance to the beat. Military march to the beat of the drum. Field engineers walk to the beat of pile drivers. Nature sounds just don’t give that kind of repetitive time standard.
Personally I want to keep the hearing clear so I can hear motor boat bow waves from behind and the conversations of my paddle companions. I can track their movements by the sound of voices.
@Sparky961 said:
@yknpdlr said:
energetic tunes, mostly from the Epic genre, such as “Two Steps From Hell” and the likeI like it. Can you suggest more like this? I find it hard to find good songs in this genre because they aren’t in your face like other types of music.
Leaning mostly Celtic and world folk, and slightly new age, You won’t find any music from the current or “all time top 40” in my playlist. In the Epic genre for paddle training listening I like: Audiomachine, Bethesda Softworks, Epic Score, Trailerhead, Immediate, Oswin Mackintosh (Lorne Balfe), Kerry Muzzey, Nox Arcana, Steve Jablonsky, Steve Mazzaro, Trevor Rabin, Trevor Jones, Randy Edelman, Thomas Bergersen, James Horner, Hans Zimmer, Alan Silvestri, Brian Tyler, Marc Streitenfeld to name a few of my favorite artists. plus many more in the Celtic or world folk genre (Tanglefoot being a favorite among them).
Many Epic tunes are first heard as “trailer music” played only during the showing of movie preview trailers, quite often they may not be heard within the movie itself.
Do a youtube search for “Epic music” or “trailer music” to find more. Some (if they are close to being in the heavy metal band or drug culture regime) I do not care for at all. And never ever anything like rap.
Getting mindlessly or romantically wishfully lost within a few of the better female vocals from the New Age/Celtic category (Loreena McKennitt, LIndsey Stirling, Eurielle, Agnes Obel, Connie Dover, Heather Dale, Niamh Parsons) all are also very motivating and inspirational for a calmer break from action.
Much appreciated. Great leads.
I discovered what I think is called “melodic power metal” a while back, which has similarities. Nightwish has a few songs that live in my playlist for inspiring and energizing background music. Edenbridge is another group that has a place in my collection.
Depending on what I’m doing though, I find that music with lyrics can be too distracting. Instrumentals don’t take as much attention for me but are more difficult to find.