I like to hear my surroundings as well, but I can't ride without music. Very simple solution: I only wear the right earbud and I don't turn it up very loud. It is more like background music as I can hear everything going on around me. If someone wants to chat with me, I pull the right earbud out and let it hang down on my jersey. (I took one of those little clip thingys from my phone and clip it to my jersey) I only use it when I ride or go for walks, never had a problem.

And I have had plenty of music coming out of my bottom end, but nothing you would recognize.

Brenda