What do you do when the music’s not speaking to you?

I ask myself if perhaps I’m looking to music to meet or stimulate some internal need or desire that might be more effectively achieved via a different avenue. This may or may not apply to you. 

In other words, a variation on:

Do something else?  

Some good cask strength rye and a tiny bit of ganja and I am always at peace with the music. Sans alternants... I play with my shepherd for a bit, and it really never mattered.

I always enjoy reading but typically find background music too distracting.

My system gets turned on when I’m ready to focus on the music only.

I often find that I’m in the mood for certain kinds of music. There is also music that can lighten my mood, Thelonious Monk comes to mind or music that can actually be depressing like P.J. Harvey. There are so many different kinds of music, surely you can find something to either match or enhance whatever mood you're in.

@jmalen123 

Yes; dogs have a way of inviting us to drop into the present moment, at which point we forget everything else...