I have always needed music in the background to make me feel present and grounded. Music’s inherent rhythm and structure soothe the ADHD mind and keep it on a linear path. I work best with either silence, or soft music that doesn’t have words or even a familiar tune. If it’s a tune that I know, I find myself trying to follow along with it either aloud or in my head, which messes with my concentration on the task at hand. I work best with a small level of soft and familiar music – the lowest volume my headphones offer. It helps me focus by removing any background noise. For me, the key to focusing is playing only familiar music/noise so it does not distract me from my work. I do much better when I am listening to music rather loudly, it limits my brain from focusing on multiple things other than the music and the task on hand. Overall, my level of brain resources dictates how much background noise I want, if my brain is whirring away, I use music to tap the brakes. I have some music designed to help concentration, no words, just music.