The Art of Listening

[Mike]

https://youtu.be/IhMJObb6d4c

[Nikhil]

This is a great topic!

I have this conversation every once in a while with friends who visit our home about appreciating the music that we listen to. There is so much we take for granted now with easy access to wifi and streaming media. Our kids don't even store files locally, choosing instead to stream their playlists. My wife has TuneIn Radio running constantly on in the background.

The analogy I use is that music today is like fast food. Plenty of salt and sugar but in the end it's just not good for you.

When you get past that initial high and look deeper for more quality you start the journey into audio and music. Appreciating the music more like you do fine dining is to look more into the listening experience. Getting to appreciate the skill and how hard it is to get a particular instrument to sound the way it does.

I do this with random people who visit my place and occasionally get the odd one who gets it. I don't dwell on it too much but I make it a point to do this while my wife gets the snacks organized or while fixing drinks. Unless we talk about it it's quite likely that many are going to go on with their lives not even aware of audio and music appreciation.

I also have to mention that in the audio hobby we have a lot of folks who are in it for the gear. So much so that these guys don't even listen to real music. It's odd but the fact is many don't even know how to sing or dance to music.

Once again ... great topic Mike! I would be very interested to know what others have to say on this.

[EmiLiuZ]

I don't think it's necessarily wrong to stream your music and not having the files stored locally. It's a very convenient thing to do, as you can easily browse through albums and don't feel limited by not having a CD or what ever.
I stream music myself, if i want to explore new music, genres or artist. I don't think it's necessarily bad.

That being said, I would rather put on a CD any day, than stream it through spotify etc. I'm a believer that it simply just sounds better, than streaming it through WiFi.

I would like to think, that music is about feelings and emotions. I'm not a listener who's listening for every instrument in the track. Sure if someone plays a MEAN guitar, I'll notice it but I'm not focusing on it.
There is two religions really. There is the analytic way "How does it sound?" "It's sounding towards the warm/neutral side". And then there is emotional way "How did it perform?" "I've never heard Queens like this before!!". Sure you can combine these two, but people tends to listen in different ways, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Maybe I'm just talking nonsense!

[audio.bill]

I find it ironic that a video titled "The Art of Listening" has such strange sound quality, like it's out of phase!

[tube-vds]

the movie is repeating after 2:20 and has bad sound.....?????

[jdandy]

Music, and how we enjoy it is a very personal thing. There is no right or wrong way to listen. There is however the times when you truly connect and pay full attention versus the times music simply fills the void of silence while other activities happen. Enjoying music live or recorded is easier to do in dedicated spaces where no other activities are taking place. With one or more distractions that capture your other senses of perception you are less likely to by fully involved with listening. Even in a dedicated room I find myself being distracted with an iPad in my hand. I am listening to the music but I am also reading, using motor skills to touch and navigate the iPad, all of which pull me away from a full and complete connection with the musical performance that drew me to the listening session in the first place. When I close the iPad cover and set it aside the music takes on an entirely different scale. I am now listening. To further enhance the experience I will often dim or completely extinguish the lighting. Now I am really listening, emotionally connecting without distractions. For me, this is what true high-end audio is all about. I just have to control my distractions.

For many there is no opportunity to have complete control over the environment where an audio system is located. Being able to eliminate distractions becomes impossible when children are present with their activities, noise from the kitchen or appliances, traffic noise entering the space, the list is long. Being unable to filter out these types of continuous distractions makes deep listening nearly impossible. I am certain this is why so many audiophiles in situations like this find late night listening sessions so satisfying. The distractions are reduced and their involvement with the music becomes easier.

Even under the best of circumstance a person has to make a conscious decision to remain focused. It is so easy for the mind to wander. Something as simple as indicator lights on gear or lighted meters can become a distraction. Your comfort in the sweet spot can impact your ability to remain focused on a musical performance. Your state of mind and ability to calm your soul plays into the experience. It's easy to talk about being truly focused on a musical event, but turning that notion into reality can be another story all together. Even after all my years of listening to recorded music I still have to make a concerted effort to control my focus and attention while listening to music. Not every moment deserves the same level of commitment but during those times when you are serious about fully engaging a recorded performance it is paramount to be able to remove as many distractions as possible, then control your own attention span. When the stars align it can be truly magical.