Music in your kitchen?

[JeanneCake]

I've shared three different kitchens in the last ten or so years; one had no music at all; the second had an AM station that seemed mostly like talk radio from what I remember and the third has Sirius Radio - and you can tell who got in first by what's on.

Today we were talking about how some chefs don't allow music in the kitchen while others do, and sometimes there's an occasional exception for a significant event (sports game, inauguration speech, etc).

So, how is it in your kitchen?

Do you have music or no? Why or why not?

[Badiane]

None. Ever.

Why?

I have a wierd disconnect somewhere in my brain that either shuts me down completely and I just stand there like a post, or it triggers a rage response that makes me just the tiniest bit irrational.

I'm okay if I don't have to concentrate on anything - I can just sit and listen to music but that's all I can do. If I need my brain for anything else, forget it, it has to go off.

Makes me REALLY popular in some kitchens, let me tell you

[Timh]

Only during prep, and I have say over what's played. Often its just NPR. OR if a local game is on.

[Tri2Cook]

None in mine during work hours. Not because I'm particularly against it during prep time, it's just that I usually don't even hear it if I'm busy. My brain just kinda sorts it to the department of unimportant stuff and ignores it completely so I don't usually bother. Sometimes when I'm there late at night after closing experimenting or playing around I'll have music going but even then, if I'm really into what I'm doing, the whole CD will play and I'll suddenly at some point think "hmmm... what happened to the music".

[McDuff]

There's music pouring out of the ceiling in every corner of the earthy crunchy groceria where I work, except in my bakeshop. I used to work with a gentle Sikh who would shake his head at the caterwauling crap other people had blaring at 6 in the morning and he would say, "In my country we have morning raga..." I couldn't work in an environment where there was constant music, unless I had total control over it.

[Michaeltheonion]

No music during service ever. It just distracts everyone. I like to listen to CBC radio in the mornings from 8-11, just before the lunch rush comes in. I find listening to news programs isn't as distracting as music. Conversely if we are listening to music during prep it is always baroque or opera. Then there is the 30 minutes before dinner service when we blast Twisted Sister and Queen as as set up our stations and finish the final seasonings. Its good fun, but as soon as the clock strikes 5:30, everything goes silent. I suppose having a radio going Isn't terrible as long as there is it is being moderated. I have worked in a kitchen a long while ago where there was rock radio going all throughout service, the chef would call out orders and people would be singing, no one could hear anything, it was not very effective.

[LaneL]

I always have music on in my kitchen, but during service it will usually be turned down.

[petite tête de chou]

If I'm having an adult beverage during prep then yes! to the tunes.

[PatyGirl]

When I´m prepping, I really like music. Especially if I start really early and its freezing, I´ll make some coffee and put `Good day sunshine´on and it really brightens up the cold.

Or when I´m late and there´s loads of stuff to do still and I need to hurry, I think it´s great to have really fast music playing.

I like having a soundtrack. I also think it minimizes chattering a bit. If there´s no music playing, people tend to be talking on and on and on... Drives me crazy. I like silence or music, no talking.

[Edward J]

Depends...

In many kitchen I've run in the past I made sure there was no music, but these were kitchens with 5 and more staff. Too many tastes, preferences, and rather, um, strong musical views. The roaring silence is the same for all........

Now, with my own biz, I usually work solo so I might play music, especially with lots of prep or repetitive work. This is ALWAYS CANNED (ie, ipod, cd's), NEVER, EVER live radio. Life's too short to put up with degrading, really pathetic commercials that take up over 1/3 of the radio air time, and I don't have time to change channels every 15 minutes.

That being said, I almost always listen to CBC radio morning shows from 6 or 7 to around 9 am, I get my news and and weather fix. CBC radio has no commercials.....

[Jason Pebbles]

My current "Chef" is trying to run the kitchen like a French brigade.

"No music."

The irony in the situation is that I do not necessarily need to hear the audible for at least five minutes in order to execute/expedite to [non-existent] standards.

I invite the sound of the ticket machine, but am left with hours of disappointment.

[gfron1]

During prep I have on NPR which normally means I tune out any stories about war or finances until they play some human interest story that makes me tear up. Once the morning news cycles once I shift to top 40 for the same reason - tuning out. And then some sucky way over played song comes on that makes me sing out loud - really loud...since no one else is there with me. I guess I do that since I'm alone in the kitchen from 6:30-10:30. But as others have said, once the doors open, I am the vision of stoic professionalism...no music.

[turkeybone]

We used to have XM in the kitchen which I thought was awesome.. but eventually what was on the radio became more important than anything.. we did put on classical during service which was fun.. though ultimately it was removed. Not so bad for me since Id only had it for like 2 months.. but some guys were hurting after having music for years.

[Timh]

Thats interesting and something I've experienced, that in some kitchens I worked in, there were some who couldn't handle NOT having music.

[Special K]

When I was in culinary school usually there was no music, but on the few days when they played swing tunes (not too loudly) it was just wonderful! Everyone got into the "swing," so to speak. Things went very smoothly, everyone was smiling, there was a little dancing, but it was under control. We loved it! It was especially helpful during cleanup.

I always have music at home. I'm one of those who couldn't do without it. In a professional kitchen I imagine that one problem would be getting everyone to agree on what to listen to. If chef's choice wasn't my choice, that would be a problem. For example, I can't stand hip-hop, so there'd be none of that in my kitchen, but I know a lot of people do like it . . .

[Rob Babcock]

Years ago I used to keep a very nice home stereo on my line, and being the Chef I played what I wanted to hear, period! Over the years, though, I've tended to prefer not having music on the line. Firstly it can be distracting, and secondly it can lead to lots of conflict over what to listen too.

[MattyC]

I tend to have music on the line, although just turned down during service. I'm a person that likes to have a little noise going on in the background, and have found it at times a little harder to concentrate in dead silence. I can't stand it loud, and it's never turned up enough where people are singing and not paying attention to orders, so it's never really been an issue. I think it makes things a little more cheerful in the kitchen.

[Ylee]

I prefer not to have music playing, but don't mind it if it's on. As long as it's not the same album that we've been listening to three days in a row (which has happened before)!

[MattyC]

I prefer not to have music playing, but don't mind it if it's on. As long as it's not the same album that we've been listening to three days in a row (which has happened before)!

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You think that's bad? When we had xm in one of the kitchens I worked at, one of the stations turned into a 24/7 Neil Diamond station. The chef decided to keep it on that station for 6 days in a row, 10 hours a day.

If I hear sweet caroline or cracklin' rosie one more time....

[Tiny]

Ipod dock in our kitchen....take turns plugging our ipods in, it creates a wide varity of tunes to work to ranging from Britney Spears to hardcore house music and everything in between....usually we can all agree on radiohead, sublime, weezer and the beastie boys...