Im sure alot of you out there like classical...dito. But I also like Ambient music (New Age/Electronica)when reading Ray's stories. Here are few good artists followed by the album title.
Brian Eno (Roxy Music), Apollo-Atmospheres & Soundtracks.
Phillip Glass, Koyaanisqatsi, The Essential.
Aphex Twin, Selected Ambient Works 85-92.
Mouse On Mars, Glam.
Boards of Canada, Music Has the Right to Children.
Biosphere, Substrata.
Global Communications, Album title unknown.
What are yours?.
By the way anyone intrigued by these artists you should find them on Amazon.

Rocketman,
In all honesty, I never ever listen to music while I read, it's one or the other with me. Some of your selections are great, though. I especially like Glass. Do you know any of his larger works? the historical operas, Einstein on the Beach, Samagyatra are both fantastic. I've only hear the music for Koyannisqati, not seen the movie.

I Can't Listen To Music And Read Simultaneously Either. But My Bread Is Buttered From Your Side Of The Pond.(1)The Kinks (2)The Who (3)X.T.C. (4)Nick Lowe. And From The U.S.A. The Loving Spoonful And R.E.M.
I Also Dig Reggae And Late 70's Ska As Well As Late 70's Punk ie. The Clash, The Jam, The Buzzcocks, The Stiff Little Fingers And The Dickies. I Could Go On And On. Split Enz, The Vibrators, The Sex Pistols, Led Zeppelin, Adam And The Antz, Any Of The 20-Some-Odd Bands Eric Clapton Ever Performed With, Ramsey Lewis, The Gypsy Kings, And The Only Band Guaranteed To Cure A Hang-Over/Bender: Pink Floyd.

Rocketman:

Can't read and listen to music. I find it two combating venues. Used to listen to TV and study, but that's why I wound-up later in life with a recollection of blurrs.

However, check this out:

(type into finder, or click on): http://raybradburyonline.com/bibliography/bradmusi.htm

first off:
huzzah for the kinks! and a big huzzah for the gypsy kings!

and,
Nard- that is very, very cool. I'm a little apprehensive about a F451 rock opera, but who knows? it could be awesome. A couple years ago, for a theory project, I set the poem in the introduction of Dandelion Wine for voice and piano. The sound of it was a little bit of a ripoff of Barber's Knoxville, 1915 setting, and I'm ashamed to admit that because of time constraints, I had to edit a couple stanzas out. Shame on me. Maybe one day I'll set the rest of it and redeem myself, but composition isn't really my thing, so who knows.
I don't know any of Lalo Schiffren's non-film score music, either, so that'd be cool to look into.

That was interesting when I refer to music I mean instrumental as opposed to vocal. The music I listen to is quite minimal and low in volume so when Im reading its juuussst there in the background. glad to see someone who likes Pink Floyd, as it happens they have just re-released "Dark Side Of The Moon."
Its funny, I remember an older music title of theres called "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun" which almost sounds like a Ray Bradbury story title. Mind you that was a time Pink Floyd went through a psychedelia phase. Other artists I like are Jimi Hendrix, Queen, Bob Dylan's "Blonde On Blonde" album, The Doors, The list goes ever on.

Rocketman:
You can sample some of my music on my website: www.catchaway.com
I'll have at least 6 new full length pieces online by the 8th, Thursday...as well as the Website will generally be cleaned up, with a couple more Bradbury pictures.

Somewheres in the music I do, there's gotta be some sort of Bradbury influence, since his prose is very much with me. Unconciously, something from that must denote some of the notes....

[This message has been edited by Nard Kordell (edited 05-05-2003).]

Rocketman,
You've hit the nerve here,
I have a six-cd stero with two tape decks.
One cd slot is pretty much permanently reserved for Blonde on Blonde, while one side of the tape deck is for Bringing it All Back Home, and the other side is for... everything else...

I guess you could look at it that everything that makes sound is background music, and that we all have that playing to us almost subconsciously whenever we read. Kind of a "Cagean" way of looking at it. In that case, my background music of choice when I read Ray Bradbury is... outside. The sound of everything... om.

marilyn manson nuff said

Amen to that, ngtshade. Ray is just so deliciously pessimistic, you can't listen to happy things, it throws it all off. NIN works too, but not as well.

nin is awsome but black label society is the best

i agree it has to be dark even metallica works

Ray is able to convey dark feelings and evoke dark settings and situations, but I believe that overall he is more optimistic than pessimistic.

shut up mr dark

Spoken like a true scholar.

Listen to dark music all you want. I'd rather people read Ray to dark music than not read him at all.