How does music help Michael Lewis write?

Michael Lewis utilizes music as an integral part of his writing process to enhance focus and creativity. He often writes with headphones on, playing a personalized soundtrack. These soundtracks, which change with each book, help him shut out external interruptions like knocks on the door or phone calls, creating a concentrated and immersive writing environment. Interestingly, the music is usually of a kind that he stops hearing after a while, ensuring it doesn't distract him from the writing 1.

Occasionally, songs need to be removed from the soundtrack if they start to interfere with his writing process. For example, a song he used for voice lessons had to be skipped because it would trigger a Pavlovian response, pulling his focus away from writing to anxiously hitting high notes 2. Overall, the soundtrack serves both as a barrier to interruptions and as a way to foster the right emotional state for writing 3.