If I'm just stringing blocks or strips together, I usually have a country CD playing. If I need to pay more attention to what I'm doing, I prefer classical music or silence.
Regarding the stars, you could probably use any star pattern, which uses squares and/or triangles. If you want to highlight one charm, here's a simple star pattern.
http://www.mccallsquilting.com/patte....html?idx=8252