My inspiration for this came after reading Khürt’s post from 2015, Writing at 160 beats per minute.

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I started coding websites with Notepad on Windows XP Pro moved to Ubuntu 6.10+ for several years until moving to macOS when graphic design became a focus. I’ve used Atom, Coda, Coda 2, Nova, and Visual Studio Code as I have moved from web towards app development for writing clean, commented, and semantic code. I use dark muted color code themes for separating variables.

From classical to trance, my music tastes changed to increase concentration and coding speed. Classical music or silence while I drive and trance for coding. Some of the music contains phrases that is tuned out so the beat and melody come through. After working at a graphic design internship for three months in an old-fashioned wood and spring office chair with four coasters and listening to the owner’s musical taste, I gravitated towards smooth jazz for future creative projects. In-ear or over-ear headphones depending on whichever feels comfortable at the time and contributes towards full tunnel-vision concentration that lasts for many hours.

Depending on the weather, type of work, and a need for inspiration, my places to work from moved between a hammock strung between two trees outside to a lazy boy chair to a rigid IKEA chair in front of an iMac on a solid table made of cherry wood covered with a smooth varnish finish. Most always, I had a cold iced coffee or water in a tumbler.

I prefer working in a dimly lit room especially when I was having weekly migraines during the pollenated summers and dry winters before I discovered how much gluten was contributing to that pain. Now I work with a lamp on, a non-fluorescent, or natural light illuminating the whole room. A flickering bulb is quickly replaced.

Here’s a selection of favorite tunes for coding, design, and writing.

Trance

• Heartbeat Aerys (Mark Sherry Remix) – https://youtu.be/IMIIdAlcqUU
• Amsterdam (Original Mix) 0rjan Nilsen – https://youtu.be/WAnBCppZlwY
• Shift (Original Mix) Anjunabeats Volume Six Above & Beyond – https://youtu.be/v2zDuCiEkWw
• Alt+F4 (Dan Stone Remix) Anjunabeats Volume Eight Above & Beyond – https://youtu.be/BwDhnlJL7uw
• Before The Story – Electric For Life 2016 (Mixed by Gareth Emery), Luke Bond
• The Light – EDM Party! 2013, Vol. 1, Omnia
• Endless Melody (Original Mix) Spaceport – https://youtu.be/NILlkOvO81w
• Eye 2 Eye (FSOE 350 Anthem) (feat. Sylvia Tosun) Aly & Fila – https://youtu.be/NImm3ApSwGE
• Spiral (Maxem Chillout Remix) (feat. Beth Bullock) Glowing Collision – Andy Hunter – https://youtu.be/lk-pSuADomI
• Sunrise 6AM In Search of Sunrise 10 – Australia Eximinds Richard Durand – https://youtu.be/fHrdyupGrto
• Jewel (Pure Radio Edit) Solarstone+ Clare Stagg – https://youtu.be/g6iKb7AFjsU
• Galaxia L.E.F. (Bonus Version) Ferry Corsten – https://youtu.be/rJt3sepgnQg

Classical

• Richter: Path 19 (yet frailest) Ben Russell & Max Richter – https://youtu.be/nCNa7CMlz3M
• Chopin: Nocturne No.20 In C Sharp Minor, Op.posth. Daniel Barenboim & Frédéric Chopin – https://youtu.be/DJBQ1ZapwmI
• Tennessee (from Pearl Harbor) HAUSER – https://youtu.be/cJ4bQTVaFB8
• Saint-Saëns: Le Carnaval des Animaux, R. 125 – 13. Le Cygne – Christopher van Kampen, Pascal Rogé, Cristina Ortiz, London Sinfonietta, Charles Dutoit & Camille Saint-Saëns – https://youtu.be/ONF_Bw9Ycp4
• Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro (Arr. C. Leon for Violin & Orchestra) – Joshua Bell – https://youtu.be/vxfbBwHqK00
• The Earth Prelude Ludovico Einaudi – https://youtu.be/hslQRXSgM7s
• Classical Focus station on Amazon Music – https://music.amazon.com/stations/A1MTSG5Y5XYXEQ?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_hc7jpQOFboWWyQxVXrteDvOdc
• Introit-Kyrie (Requiem for the Living) – Balanced Voices – Dan Forrest – Rivertree Singers – https://youtu.be/yQ9KLpWMGx8
• LUX: The Dawn From On High – Dan Forrest – Rivertree Singers – https://youtu.be/FxwXHtWVwlA