So what is a code monkey to listen to when hard at work creating something that isn't distracting, but is conducive to the creative and analytical process?
To further expand on the question, what do they listen to when they are an avid fan of Disney Theme Parks?
I know there are some people out there who listen to a heck of a lot more podcasts related to Disney than I do (<cough>George</cough>), but most of those that I listen to require a bit of engagement to get the most out of them.
That can prove difficult when you live your life as a code monkey. It's a job that requires a lot of thinking and concentration when trying to solve difficult problems.
Well, as I was thinking about this post, I came to the conclusion that a couple Podcasts that I listen to really fit into the needs of such a person.
The Window To the Magic Podcast
The Window to the Magic Podcast is hosted by Paul Barrie, Jr. and Patrick Hurd (a fellow Okie and CMO candidate). Paul has a very soothing voice that blends into the content he's presenting. I have heard him referred to as the "Mr. Rogers" of Disney Podcasting. Patrick has a similarly matched radio voice.
As far as content, Window to the Magic is known for playing park audio that is recorded by Paul using his binaural microphones. Listening to Window to the Magic while coding gives one the impression that you are sitting in the parks (usually Disneyland).
A new experiment for Window to the Magic is the WTTM 24. Paul and a cohort both strapped on binaural mics 
and then wandered Disneyland and everything was recorded. Then the audio was merged together and cut into episodes. This version of the podcast must be listened to with headphones to get maximum effect. In some cases, when the two walking microphones get separated, then audio two separate audio tracks are split to the left and right ears.
Paul also offers additional social interaction on the Twitter network where you can get information before the rest of the world. Plus, you get to have interesting chats. If you are lucky you get to hear Paul talk about Twitter and his twitter buddies on his recordings while wandering the parks.
Mouse Lounge Podcast
Gary Chambers puts together another code monkey friendly podcast called the Mouse Lounge Podcast. Instead of mainly adhering to theme park audio, he seems to cover all kinds of audio.
For example, awhile back he had audio recordings from a special showcase Jodi Benson (the voice of Ariel) did at a museum honoring Disney Music. You got to listen to her signing songs from her various works.
You never know what you are going to get when you listen to Mouse Lounge.
I love my Disney podcasts, but sometimes I never get any work done because I have to keep rewinding and re-listening to content to catch something I missed. Sometimes, you want to be able to just let it play in the background and provide a very Disney-esque background sounds.
I'm sure there are people who may want to slap me from one side of the room to another for the way I use those two podcasts, but I hope that Gary, Paul and Patrick appreciate that their podcasts have an important role in my life.
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3 comments:
Good post. I also do some coding at work. I have the same problem where I can't listen to Lou or the WDW Today guys because I can't concentrate on the 'cast and my work at the same time...so I have to make sure that I am doing something conducive to podcast listening before I turn those guys on.
I've listened to WTTM off and on, but I'm so out of the habit of headphones while I'm deep in code that I didn't consider listening to it just for background music. Next time I am in a no-headphone task, I'll try out WTTM.
headphones are great! You just need to be in a place where you don't need to be aware of your surroundings
play the song! play the song!
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