That's the point Matt - it's not "just music." How would you feel if someone were continually to blow cigarette smoke directly in your face, or doused you in ice water, or poured vinegar on all your food? The "music" is a sensory assault. Why should the sense of hearing be any less important than any of the others? It takes your energy to deal with it, and it affects your moods.

And the various styles of "music" are not seen the same by everyone. What one person might find enjoyable can grate on someone elses nerves unbearably. One of the guys I work with really enjoys jazz drumming. He has played CDs of multiple drummers playing different rhythms at the same time. He really enjoyed it, but I found it so chaotic that I couldn't concentrate on the work I was trying to do.