Yeeeeah. I'm not so good at the focusing thing. I don't know that I have ADD but I do have a difficult time not multi-tasking. When I'm making jewelry, I'm usually watching TV too. When I'm sewing plushies, I'm listening to music. I'm not sure if I have a good reason for it. When I'm doing something that only requires my hands, another part of my body needs to be engaged as well.
That doesn't necessarily mean I am paying a lot of attention to the TV or the song. It's more like background noise. Too much quiet is creepy.
I will say that I don't turn anything else on when I am trying to read a book. I can't focus on the characters and story with something else going on. I guess that is the answer to the question. When I need to focus I read a book.