I was asked this recently."Rarely, maybe a few times a year" is the short version. It's weird because on a rare occasion I'll grab music to give people who read my posts something to listen to, but I usually don't listen while writing. 

I think there are a few reasons for this. The first is that it [i]almost[/i] feels like a handicap when taken too far. I've talked to a few people who need everything to be perfect before they can even think about writing. They need to right soundtrack, to be well rested, to have  a nice day without any setbacks, their favorite drink in their favorite cup with that silly straw, to be pain free, etc. Listening to all the things that need to be right for them to be creative is [i]exhausting[/i]. It takes more work for them to prepare than write anything. 

Really though, I just find music to be distracting. It's hard for me to listen to a song and not be taken to different moments of my past or just think about the media the song is tied to. If I hear "The Only Thing They Fear is You," I'm going to start thinking about Doom Guy and monster slaying. Doom Guy is cool and everything, but I'd rather find my own way through a scene. It feels more original that way. 

The few times I do listen to something while writing it's always a song I'm less familiar with. Something that can direct my thoughts without screaming "remember that piece of media I was from?" Or "remember when you first heard me?"