Playing songs while making your Game

[Mariotroid]

I was pretty heavy into development of Super Mario Holidays. I had a break up. So my ex girlfriend busted my old good computer a couple years ago. Luckily I still had the game file. I then needed to use an older, shittier computer for my Game Dev. This computer had no sound. So I was developing Mario Holidays without a sound card. This made things tough and I obviously couldn't use a nice game track for the level I was making. This kind of caused me to look at the level a bit blandly. I think I'll find a good track for the level now though. I got a new nice computer (which obviously has sound).

I'm wondering if music really does liven up a game? I think it does. Not just the game itself, but it's development. Then again, I hated the last level I made and it had good sound. Hmm.
I guess my conclusion is that music does help in development but it's also not essential if you're listening to music on another device.

[Evil Yoshi Toes]

I always listen to music while I work on my art. I've found that it keeps my mind from straying.

As for how important it is in a game/level, I'd say it's very important. A level can feel extremely empty without music. Music adds atmosphere! Actually, sometimes a lack of music provides successful atmosphere, usually an eerie or peaceful one depending on what ambient sounds are provided. Dead silence is almost always uncomfortable in a video game but that could also be effective if there are still sound effects the player can cause (like footsteps and such). If there's no sound at all I'd probably assume my speakers were broken and I'd find it very unenjoyable.

Also, the wrong music can be just as bad as no music (or worse!). Having energetic music like the athletic theme of super Mario world in a cold and dreary level would be very annoying and would ruin the whole level. Music has a lot of power.

[GeneralGuy]

I find that listening to music really helps motivate me to excel at any activity.