If you are READING you are not listening. I teach music apprieaction to college freshman. Want to talk about a real nightmare? They assume music is easy, and come into the class with a bad attitude and expectation. I lose over half the class in just over a couple of weeks once they realize they have to listen to weekly assigned pieces and pass a listening quiz. The thought of spending a few hours a week listening (yes, just listening...not driving, reading, and/or computering while the music happens to be playing) is beyond their comprehension. I only wish music education was treated as seriously in grade schools as their obsession other social modeling. By first grade they know how to put a condom on a bananna, but have never heard an oboe. (insert evil grin) Now, maybe if they used an oboe in sex-ed?
I suppose you're right. But, good classical music is great background for reading (or Freeping).
And now I have to get the image of the oboe and sex ed out of my head!