You Had To Be There

I realised a few things when I first started curating the optimal contributions to my studying music playlists around two years ago:

1) Words were distracting - especially when writing essays. The number of times I've zoned back in on my screen to see I'd been typing the lyrics in my headphones is tragicomic.

2) So was music with melodies I knew - doze off for just a little and suddenly my brain was completely captured by the need to hum Clair de Lune or 'Once Upon A Dream'.

3) SO was music with melodies I didn't know - have I really not heard that before? Ooh, that was creative!- What's the name of this artist? You get the idea.

4) So too was loud or 'dramatic' music - it's surprisingly stressful to wait for the key-change chorus of 'My Heart Will Go On' while typing about The Taming of the Shrew. (That being said, the battle song from the 2005 The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a notably epic exception - I highly recommend giving it a listen for an impressive soundtrack to your daily routine montage.)

5) SO too, however, was quiet music - even the gentle tinklings of relaxdaily's 24/7 'Calm Piano Music' livestream (I've linked it here for you to have a listen to 😊). Was my volume not high enough? Did someone just cough in the background? Ooh, that bit sounded familiar, that's cool... - noooo! Distracted again - DO YOUR WORK.

In short, nothing worked. And yet, at the same time, silence itself also made for a somewhat irksome studying experience.

I finally found something of a solution after searching up the simple 'library sounds' on YouTube. With a simple track of rustling paper and footsteps off in the distance, I found both my concentration and productivity improved a fair bit. (This one, on the Winter Whale channel, is my favourite - I've found it most realistic. You might also like to look up 'library sounds' or 'library ambience' for yourself and have a look at some of the more fantasy-like selections - 'Ancient Library with Rain' sound appealing?)

When it came to music just for thinking and relaxing, though, I liked all of the things I'd found otherwise distracting: the busyness of notes scurrying up and down, the breath of a singer before they did a big belt, the quiet creakiness of the piano stool as the pianist shifted their weight to another part of the keyboard.

Most of all, as I'd realised when I first found the library ambience, I liked the sound of life - whether it be in rush-hour traffic jams (here's a 3-hour-long night ambience from Manhattan at night), rain on the sidewalks, or the clink of mugs in a jazz café just before sunset.

But just the sound of life by itself, after a few hours of quiet listening, could also be lonely. I'm sure you've felt this way if you've ever closed your eyes and half-nodded off to sleep on a bus or a train - the world, as close to you as it is , can often feel like it's just moving and going on without much meaning. The footsteps and muffled conversations that I found comforting needed something more whimsical to offset the 'reality' of the sounds.

Enter Ratatouille. That's right - the legendary 2007 Pixar film centred around a rat who desperately wants to cook, in spite of all of the (obvious and perhaps well-justified) odds.

Set in a warm and reflective Paris, the soundtrack features a number of beautiful pieces, not least the dreamy, well-known title track 'Le Festin', sung by French artist Camille.

The soundtrack itself isn't quite what I'm focusing on here, though. Sure, the music is vibrant and romantic, but what if there was something

So glad you asked. What about this?

The knives, the soups, the background mumblings of French (at least, I think?) between chefs and waiters... 😍.

It was the perfect balance between busyness and whimsy-nostalgia for me, and I fell in love quickly with both it and the other movie ambiences I immediately looked up.

So, here are my top picks. Whether you grew up watching all of these movies or have only heard of them in passing - or hadn't known of them at all before now, I hope you'll find something you can enjoy and make use of for your next relaxation session.

Just to note, there is also a sprinkling of a few pre-curated playlists from the indie and Korean R&B genres - simply because the cheerful sunshine vibes, combined with sweet and thoughtful melodies, are pretty irresistible.

Happy listening!

-

1. Gusteau's Kitchen - Ratatouille (Pixar 2007)

Starting off with the ambience that introduced all the other ambiences, we have the afore-described track inside the Ratatouille kitchen - a great choice for when you want to feel a little more vibrant, or French, or, indeed, perhaps, when you're feeling more inspired in the kitchen.

2. Pirates of the Caribbean (Disney)

In some contrast to the more dramatic moments of the film series itself, this 3-hour-long (3 hours seems to be a trend in the ambient-music arena) is filled with ethereal tunes and airy bird calls. Have a listen whenever you're feeling like you want some sounds from the sea but the Titanic soundtrack feels too sad.

3. Narnia - Winter Woods (Disney)

4. Narnia - Aslan's Camp (Disney)

I love Narnia a lot - here we've got a slightly more lively bit from the soundtrack.

5. Studio Ghibli Piano Collection (various films, Studio Ghibli)

6. Winnie The Pooh - Hundred Acre Wood (Christopher Robin, Disney)

As I understand it, this ambience is from the new movie instead of the originals, but it's still wonderful.

7. Korean Morning Playlist

As promised, the cheerful Korean vibes!

8. Indie/Indie-Folk Playlist

Hope you enjoyed 😊