I’ve always been a person who needed a little white noise in order to be more productive, so the day I interviewed at Metcalfe Architecture & Design and heard music being played out loud I knew this place would be a good fit.

Even though some of us like the music to fade into the background (sparking an all-day battle for control of the volume dial) it seems that there is rarely a time when someone doesn’t have his or her music device attached to the office stereo. My co-workers know by now that if there is more than 45 seconds of silence I will almost always be out of my seat with mp3 player in hand.

For the most part everyone here has diverse and relatively open-minded tastes when it comes to listening material. Through exposure here, I’ve discovered some of the best music I’ve ever heard – everything from Juana Molina to Tom Waits, and from there, my own tastes in music have evolved quickly.

Don’t get me wrong though, even though we are usually not offended by each other’s music selections, occasionally a questionable album will be played. I don’t think I’ll ever warm up to Steely Dan or the Mahavishnu Orchestra, but there’s always a way out of those uncomfortable situations.

Using our own headphones is one inconspicuous way we let everyone else know that we’re not pleased about what’s being played, and occasionally, someone may even let out a resounding groan and actively change the music. I’ll be the first to admit that not all my co-workers would appreciate my collection of Modeselektor or Bjork albums.

And, let’s face it, the music that’s appropriate for a Friday afternoon is not always right for Monday morning. Here at MA&D we often start out the week with something like Neil Young and end up gradually transitioning to The Kinks or Nirvana.

In general though, I think everyone in the office appreciates having noise in the background to cover up the quiet din of keyboard tapping and mouse clicking which can drive a person crazy. We’ve all become amateur DJs, each of us helping to create a more lighthearted and pleasant atmosphere around the office, sparking a little conversation here and there and giving us all something to hum along to. Tastes aside, I always appreciate when someone is willing to share their music with everyone else, revealing a little bit more of themselves and helping us all become a little closer on a personal level.

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Music is key to any design studio.