--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never work with music. I hate…" description: "\"I never work with music. I hate background music, always did. I only like music in the foreground, meaning, deliberately listen to it, actually.\" — Dav..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/474/david-hockney-1395_background-music_i-never-work-with-music-i-hate-backgroun_2639645.png" --- # I never work with music. I hate background music, always… ![“I never work with music. I hate background music, always did. I only like music in the foreground, meaning, deliberately listen to it, actually.” quote by David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/474/david-hockney-1395_background-music_i-never-work-with-music-i-hate-backgroun_2639645.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/474/david-hockney-1395_background-music_i-never-work-with-music-i-hate-backgroun_2639645.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/474/david-hockney-1395_background-music_i-never-work-with-music-i-hate-backgroun_2639645.png) > “I never work with music. I hate background music, always did. I only like music in the foreground, meaning, deliberately listen to it, actually.” [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He dislikes background music, preferring music he actively listens to, highlighting intentional listening. **In simple terms:** He likes music he actively listens to. Key Takeaway Choose deliberate listening. Themes music attention focus art Mood thoughtful artistic Type interview philosophical When to use this quote - studio work - gallery tours - personal study - creative practice Key Concepts aesthetic theory cognitive psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does active listening bring to your work? - When do you prefer silence? A Different Perspective Background music can distract some tasks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Background music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/background-music/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) ## Related quotes > [Writing and working with producers is like dating - it sounds strange to say that, but you have to test people out. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anoop-desai/writing-and-working-with-producers-is-like-dating-it-sounds-strange/) Anoop Desai > [Obviously I know if you're putting yourself out there, saying, 'Hey! Listen to my music!,' with pictures of yourself in the magazines, then people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fka-twigs/obviously-i-know-if-you-re-putting-yourself-out-there-saying-hey/) [FKA twigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fka-twigs/) > [I make music to make you sick of fake music, hate music like devil worshippin Satan music. So say your prayers, your Hail Marys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eminem/i-make-music-to-make-you-sick-of-fake-music-hate-music-like-devil/) [Eminem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eminem/) > [It's really liberating for me to be able to say I like Ke$ha's music, but I hate her. And that's okay. Because a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/it-s-really-liberating-for-me-to-be-able-to-say-i-like-ke-ha-s-music/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [The music that I hate the most is R&B.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/the-music-that-i-hate-the-most-is-r-b/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) > [Obviously like many of us, I love music, and I hate music sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erol-alkan/obviously-like-many-of-us-i-love-music-and-i-hate-music-sometimes/) [Erol Alkan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erol-alkan/) > [The wonderful thing about rock music is even if you hate the other person, sometimes you need him more, you know. In other words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/the-wonderful-thing-about-rock-music-is-even-if-you-hate-the-other/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I am right at the bottom compared to everybody else with press kits and demos and trying to get meetings. That's what I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/i-am-right-at-the-bottom-compared-to-everybody-else-with-press-kits/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [I decided I would rather have a day job and love music than to play music that made me hate it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-torn/i-decided-i-would-rather-have-a-day-job-and-love-music-than-to-play/) David Torn > [I go shopping for jeans, and they're playing shitty music in the store, I just leave. I can't be around music that I hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-raphael/i-go-shopping-for-jeans-and-they-re-playing-shitty-music-in-the-store/) [Gordon Raphael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-raphael/) > [I'm so into the Boss and who he is, and I've read all his books, and I've watched every DVD, and I love every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-peavy/i-m-so-into-the-boss-and-who-he-is-and-i-ve-read-all-his-books-and-i/) [Jake Peavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-peavy/) > [As a fan of pop music myself, I hate discovering that a favourite track has a completely different meaning from the one I thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romy-madley-croft/as-a-fan-of-pop-music-myself-i-hate-discovering-that-a-favourite/) [Romy Madley Croft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romy-madley-croft/) > [I love music and I would hate to get bored with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-rabbitt/i-love-music-and-i-would-hate-to-get-bored-with-it/) [Eddie Rabbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-rabbitt/) > [As a fan of music, there's nothing I hate more than hearing an artist write a new album off the back of a successful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-origliasso/as-a-fan-of-music-there-s-nothing-i-hate-more-than-hearing-an-artist/) [Jessica Origliasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-origliasso/) > [“Try to remember that even if they deliver the wrong cake, the limo driver is a no-show, there's a monsoon, and the band plays…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-long/try-to-remember-that-even-if-they-deliver-the-wrong-cake-the-limo/) Liz Long ## More by David Hockney > [ You can't believe any picture nowadays, if it's digital. You can't really believe. If you see me shaking hands with Mr. \[Barack\] Obama, it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/you-can-t-believe-any-picture-nowadays-if-it-s-digital-you-can-t/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [I had always planned to make a large painting of the early spring, when the first leaves are at the bottom of the trees,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-had-always-planned-to-make-a-large-painting-of-the-early-spring/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [I've always said that the only thing a photograph is good at capturing faithfully is another flat surface.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-ve-always-said-that-the-only-thing-a-photograph-is-good-at/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [I'm rather shocked by what I thought was simple mindedness actually. I thought they're not looking, they're not actually looking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-m-rather-shocked-by-what-i-thought-was-simple-mindedness-actually-i/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [You would think death was an optional extra nowadays. Nobody wants to tick that box.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/you-would-think-death-was-an-optional-extra-nowadays-nobody-wants-to/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [I live wherever I happen to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-live-wherever-i-happen-to-be/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [Until I saw my drawings replayed on the iPad, I'd never seen myself draw. Someone watching me would be concentrating on the exact moment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/until-i-saw-my-drawings-replayed-on-the-ipad-i-d-never-seen-myself/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [You always need a bit of low-tech.You always need a pair of scissors, it seems to me. You can do better things… The high-tech,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/you-always-need-a-bit-of-low-tech-you-always-need-a-pair-of-scissors/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [When you are older, you realise that everything else is just nothing compared to painting and drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/when-you-are-older-you-realise-that-everything-else-is-just-nothing/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [The photograph isn't good enough. It's not real enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/the-photograph-isn-t-good-enough-it-s-not-real-enough/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [In fact, I'm a bit of a slob, but I've always said my excuse, I have a higher sense of order, I can see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/in-fact-i-m-a-bit-of-a-slob-but-i-ve-always-said-my-excuse-i-have-a/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [Spring is very energising to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/spring-is-very-energising-to-me/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [No theoretician, no writer on art, however interesting he or she might be, could be as interesting as Picasso. A good writer on art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/no-theoretician-no-writer-on-art-however-interesting-he-or-she-might/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [How difficult it is to learn not to see like cameras, which has had such an effect on us. The camera sees everything at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/how-difficult-it-is-to-learn-not-to-see-like-cameras-which-has-had/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [With chemical film, it was possible to alter photographs, but you had to be an expert. That's not true any more. The LA Times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/with-chemical-film-it-was-possible-to-alter-photographs-but-you-had/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) [Explore all 247 David Hockney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) ## More Background music quotes > [“And the way I loved her was like nothing else. This, I decided, was the love all other loves were measured against. They say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-center/and-the-way-i-loved-her-was-like-nothing-else-this-i-decided-was-the/) [Katherine Center](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-center/) > [When I'm not doing readings, I just spend a lot of time alone and try to meditate. Going for walks in nature is also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-henry/when-i-m-not-doing-readings-i-just-spend-a-lot-of-time-alone-and-try/) [Tyler Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-henry/) > [“The trouble with life is that, unlike movies, it doesn't have background music. We never know how we're supposed to feel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-gardner/the-trouble-with-life-is-that-unlike-movies-it-doesn-t-have/) Lewis Gardner > [One of the biggest challenges in the past for me in working on the networks was that audiences have grown accustomed to television being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/one-of-the-biggest-challenges-in-the-past-for-me-in-working-on-the/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [I don't just sing the song, I also sing the background music and the guitar solo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-just-sing-the-song-i-also-sing-the-background-music-and-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I love when I reach Marcus on the phone and as he says hello, I can hear the music he's listening to in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/i-love-when-i-reach-marcus-on-the-phone-and-as-he-says-hello-i-can/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [First I think I was interested in the stories, and later on, I became more interested in the language itself, so the stories became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/first-i-think-i-was-interested-in-the-stories-and-later-on-i-became/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“My eyes pop out when I catch a glimpse of how much leg she's showing. She's wearing her shortest mini skirt, the one that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-caldwell/my-eyes-pop-out-when-i-catch-a-glimpse-of-how-much-leg-she-s-showing/) [Janine Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-caldwell/) > [“They were looking for a builder to construct the home they thought they wanted, but he was the architect, coming with a new plan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/they-were-looking-for-a-builder-to-construct-the-home-they-thought/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“He never really voice pure, raw outrage to me about Watergate or what it represented. The crimes and abuses were background music. Nixon was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/he-never-really-voice-pure-raw-outrage-to-me-about-watergate-or-what/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [“« I guess I tend to think that important events should be solemn, and very grand, with muted violins playing in the background. It´s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-guess-i-tend-to-think-that-important-events-should-be-solemn-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The neo-conservative critics of leftist critics of mass culture ridicule the protest against Bach as background music in the kitchen, against Plato and Hegel,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-marcuse/the-neo-conservative-critics-of-leftist-critics-of-mass-culture/) [Herbert Marcuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-marcuse/) > [“One of the tragedies of real life is that there is no background music.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-proulx/one-of-the-tragedies-of-real-life-is-that-there-is-no-background-music/) [Annie Proulx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-proulx/) > [People sort of imagine Chris Morris and me sitting somewhere dark, with dripping taps and chilling background music. In fact, we like to sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-baynham/people-sort-of-imagine-chris-morris-and-me-sitting-somewhere-dark/) [Peter Baynham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-baynham/) > [“Life is just like a movie, except it does not have background music, but you cannot see it in media.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abrar-ahmed-chowdhury/life-is-just-like-a-movie-except-it-does-not-have-background-music/) [Abrar Ahmed chowdhury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abrar-ahmed-chowdhury/) [Browse all 71 Background music quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/background-music/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I never work with music. I hate background music, always did. 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