Usually classical, jazz, or Celtic/ambient. Words are only allowed when I'm doing something mindless and rote - anything that requires real thinking, especiall

Usually classical, jazz, or Celtic/ambient. Words are only allowed when I'm doing something mindless and rote - anything that requires real thinking, especially writing, will have the lyrics take the quality down a couple of notches - not a lot, but enough to be noticeable. The only exception is pure non-verbal creative work (CAD, graphic design, etc.) where relaxation is key - there, Jimmy Buffett, or old country or pop music can be quite useful.