Friday, April 17, 2009

The Omer

I'm not entirely sure which is worse, not listening to music at all or listening to acapella over and over and over again until Lag B'Omer. Either way, I may feel like going crazy before then (I think I say this every year, but especially in recent years when I spend so much time in my car.) Now I know that there are other things to listen to, such as torah tapes, comedy tapes, etc. However considering my tendency to zone out what the person is actually saying on those tapes when I'm driving it's not such a fantastic idea. I know, because I bought myself an audiobook last year. I thought "Hey, this is a great idea, I know this book and I'm sure it'll keep me from wishing for music!" Yeah, right. I barely made it past the first chapter before I got bored and started wishing for more music. How am I going to make it another 3 weeks?!

6 comments:

Originally From Brooklyn said...

I like audiobooks, you turn them on in the beginning of Shabbos and by the time shabbos is over you have listened to the whole book. Just kidding. Though I have listened to my share of audiobooks in the past. I mean how can anyone sit and read the whole Dune series in real book form, some parts get really boring and you have to zone out till you get to something good happening. But seriously, I'm sure you can ask a Rabbi about the music during sfirah, there must be some sort of hetter to be found. And while you are there ask about listening to audiobooks through shabbos with the long days coming up the boredom is bound to set in.

Something Different said...

I am so not surviving the sefirah. :( I am already miserably trying to remember the words to this song and that, and horribly upset over the fact that it will take me ages till I can find out...
And naturally the song that had to get stuck in my head before the sefirah started was a marvelous middos machine song... I mean, I have nothing against marvelous middos machine, but seriously, a couple of weeks of this and I will be officially ready to be admitted into the loony bin. ;)

Ookamikun said...

Not listening to taped music is a minchag. If you need it for something other than enjoyment, background music while working or to calm a baby, should be fine.
Don't think any rabbi would consider Metallica or Iron Maiden or Nightwish music. Psychedelic and trance prob too.

Jacob Da Jew said...

I listen to music.

Anonymous said...

Good a cappella exists.

Consider the Gin & Tonics (1 2), a barber shop quartet. I recall one song is classic rock and the other jazz, but my using a dial-up internet connection at the moment prevents me from confirming the video content.

MAK said...

The question isn't whether good acappella exists, I have 2 accappella CDs in my car, and after listening to them over and over and over (you get the point) I get incredibly sick of hearing them. And considering I spend a ridiculous amount of time in my car the only choices I have while in there are audio books (which I get bored of easily), my 2 accapella CDs, which I've had for 3 years and know by heart, and talk raadio. When I'm at home, it's not such a big deal since as Josh Said, there is good accapella. But when you've heard the same thing a million and one times...I'm sure you all know what I mean. I just need to get new acappella CDs.