I feel that staying beSimcha is instrumental to my battle with YH. I also find that music is an extremely powerful tool to stay beSimcha.
Therefore I feel that, for myself, listening to music during Sfira is OK and my "avelus" during this time is accomplished by not listening to LIVE music. I do listen to music even when my family, who would not otherwise listen to music during Sfira, is around.
Does anyone feel that this is inappropriate and that I should not listen to music during sfira, even though that would toughen my battle with YH significantly?