2Old4This, your "distraction" is my motivation. That said, there is a point (around the 96th switchback) where everything gets annoying--music, food, marmots, rocks, dirt, and even the view. That's a good time to turn off the music and make some friends. Everyone has a different reason for climbing Whitney, and everyone clings to something different to get them up that mountain. My recommendation was just that, nothing more.
