How do you listen to music?

[Justin]

I'm interested to hear from people how they approach new music. Do you start it playing, sit back, and do nothing but listen?

I can do this for music I already know, but when I want to listen to some new piece of music, usually I am unable to keep my attention on just listening without getting distracted or bored. Usually I have to keep myself interested by simulataneously engaging in a second task - one which doesn't use too much brainpower, otherwise I will tune out the music altogether. I'm a big fan of puzzles, so sometimes doing a sudoku or playing with a Rubik's cube will do it.

If it's music I don't know much about and I'm not sure whether I'm going to have much interest in it, I'll just repeat it a few times in the background when I'm engaged in other tasks. After a few iterations, some passages will start sounding familiar and I'll have some idea of whether I'll like it or not.

It is somewhat rare for me to really like a piece upon first listening (I guess somehow through repeated listening, I figure out "how" to listen to that piece of music), but when I do, it's a wonderful feeling. It's something I would like to happen more often, so I'd like to get some ideas on listening and enjoying new music!

[Corlyss_D]

Just to nail down terminology here, by "new" you mean music you have never heard before, and not music that purports to be the genre of modern "classical" music, like aleatory, 12-tone, minimalist, etc., right?

[Justin]

That's right - I meant music that is new to me!

[RebLem]

I usually watch HGTV with the sound off. You can understand most of what is going on without the sound.

[John F]

If I'm listening to the "new" music in a concert, then there's no problem in keeping focused on it. I may read the program notes to get an idea of what to expect. Then I just go with the flow.

Listening to records or the radio at home, I do sometimes lose interest and quit, or get distracted by a phone call or something and lose the thread. If it's a record and I've liked what I've heard, I can always start over again when I'm in the mood. If it's a broadcast, too bad!

[Corlyss_D]

I can't say this without sounding like I'm being arrogant, but I know so much music already, there are few listening experiences that present to me a composer or a style I don't know. Since I tend to focus on styles (periods) rather than specific composers, I hear very little that isn't familiar in one way or an other. I haven't completely cracked Lieder because that takes a more concentrated listening effort, but for orchestral, ensemble, chamber, opera, and solo instrumental music, I am content to let the radio program for me.

[Ralph]

I find "new" music by long dead composers every month. If I can, my first listening is uninterrupted by anything else but that isn't always possible.

[jbuck919]

Do you start it playing, sit back, and do nothing but listen?

That is exactly what I do. Real sophisticated, huh?

I can do this for music I already know, but when I want to listen to some new piece of music, usually I am unable to keep my attention on just listening without getting distracted or bored.

You need not worry. Even the most experienced listeners have lapses of attention in virtually every piece of any length they listen to. It would be a great mistake to beat yourself up for it.

[Chalkperson]

Do you start it playing, sit back, and do nothing but listen?

That is exactly what I do. Real sophisticated, huh?

You can do that because you are disciplined enough to do it, by nature of your qualifications as a musician, and scholar, I rarely get the chance to do that, I have too much to do so i'm a little like Justin sometimes, but I have a killer system, and, once you put on a really good record you have no alternative but to stop everything you are doing and just sit and listen...and it's not just me, if I leave out, for example, Murray Perahia's English Suites and my wife hits the play button, I guarantee she'll just sit down and listen, and she is not really interested on classical music at all...

[knotslip]

Being an audiophile, I tend to listen to music critically a lot of the time. I like to listen and hear, as well as picture, the soundstage. I like hearing the details and the nuances that my system can pull out of the music. Of course, with a bad recording this is not as easy or pleasant to do. I do put on a CD and play it loud enough to hear throughout the house while I'm doing house work or home work. I LOVE music and I have the most eclectic taste in music that I have yet to discover of anyone else. Many say they have eclectic taste but few ever really do to the extent of mine own. It's probably not the right thread to do it in but I'd be interested in comparing musical tastes with other members of CMG.


How do I listen to music? In the following ways :

Background - loud - while doing shores, etc.

Critically with the lights out (sitting dead center in the sweet spot), system at a good volume - imagining I am there - listening for soundstage, dynamics, range and detail/accuracy.

Casually - sitting or laying on the couch - napping or just enjoying what I hear.

It doesn't matter if it is new or if I've heard it a hundred times- what matters more is the mood I am in and what I want to accomplish with that particular listening session. I just enjoy listening to the music.

When I was 13 (nearly 25 years ago ), my aunt and grandmother heard my heavy metal playing on a portable stereo I took with me on our yearly beach vacations in Florida, and they gave me a long speech about how bad that music was and how it was a just a fad - and how it would pass. I still listen to that same music today (although my tastes have expanded in music) and I always think about that lecture they gave me. As it turns out, it wasn't a passing fad - it was the start of my love for music and a life-long passion.

One question : At what volume do you listen to your classical music? Down low- hardly audible : average volume (mild sounds hardly audible) : Loud, like you were there at the concert?

Just curious. I mostly listen to mine at a medium volume or loud like I was there depending on the type of listening i am doing (as I spoke about above).

Later!

[Chalkperson]

One question : At what volume do you listen to your classical music? Down low- hardly audible : average volume (mild sounds hardly audible) : Loud, like you were there at the concert?

Just curious. I mostly listen to mine at a medium volume or loud like I was there depending on the type of listening i am doing (as I spoke about above).

Later!

The thing about a good system is it's ability to make the music 'transparent' and the background black...but music in concert does not have to be loud, some of the best music is pianissimo...I can listen to mine, loud, medium or even soft...just try Maria Callas in Puccini, hear her float those notes, right over your head, ultra pianissimo...that may not be the correct term, by the way...What equipment/cables/speakers do you have...

[jbuck919]

Do you start it playing, sit back, and do nothing but listen?

That is exactly what I do. Real sophisticated, huh?

You can do that because you are disciplined enough to do it, by nature of your qualifications as a musician, and scholar, I rarely get the chance to do that, I have too much to do so i'm a little like Justin sometimes, but I have a killer system, and, once you put on a really good record you have no alternative but to stop everything you are doing and just sit and listen...and it's not just me, if I leave out, for example, Murray Perahia's English Suites and my wife hits the play button, I guarantee she'll just sit down and listen, and she is not really interested on classical music at all...

We have more in common than you think. I listen to plenty of music in the background; just not what I consider the first-rank composers (and even then there's a lot of earlier Mozart that makes classy background music. However, as you imply, there is much music that commands attention. To take an extreme example, I wouldn't try to get anything else done if a late Beethoven quartet were playing.

[lmpower]

I try to pay close attention whenever I listen. I don't usually play background music. If the work is not compelling, my attention may wander. Since I have been listening to music for many years, I don't often hear a work new to me anymore. When I do hear something new it may take repeated hearings to appreciate fully.

[knotslip]

Chalk-

My audio system is in constant upgrade mode. Being an audiophile hurts the wallet and it seems even though I am very happy with the sound i currently get, I always know it can be improved and so I'm always contemplating the next upgrade.

As far as equipment goes, I have what I would consider good entry to mid level high end components. As it is with everything else, everyone will have their own opinions about what is good or not good...

Because of room constraints (and budget), I have a home theater system and audio system that are one in the same. I always buy for the audio though. I have the following :

Acurus Act-3 Preamp/processor with all upgrades - soon to be upgraded to an Anthem Statement D2
Adcom GFA 5802 (Stereophile Class B component) - eventually will be replaced with the BAT
Adcom 5300 3 ch. amp for center and rears
Goldring GR-1.2 Turntable - will upgrade eventually
Pro-Ject Phono preamp
Sony DVP ES 5000 DVD/SACD player
Sony PS3 for Blu-Ray and multi-channel SACD and games
Spendor S8E speakers and the C9E Center
Velodyne HGS-12 sub - soon to be upgraded to the Velodyne DD-18
Cables vary but all are high quality. Brands are AQ, River Cable and some others.

I want to get a BAT (Balanced Audio Technologies) AMP eventually
Also would like to get a VPI or Music Hall turntable as an upgrade with a nice preamp as well. My next big upgrade though will be my television.
I currently have a Mittsubishi 55" widescreen RPCRT HDTV but it is lacking on inputs. Plan to upgrade to a 60"+ Pioneer plasma.

What about your system?
Thanks.

[Brendan]

A few minutes preparatory meditation to clear the mind and silence thought, then press 'Play'.

And just at the moment when the Self no longer exists and one's Being is entirely overwhelmed with the exquisite delight of Music Itself in full blossom - the damn phone will ring. Murphy's Law or something.

[Ken]

My typical daily listening habits are thus:

6:00 A.M. - 7:00 A.M.: the morning radio show while I am preparing breakfast

9:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.: again, the daytime radio programming while I "work" (i.e., visit CMG)

5:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M.: "concentrated" listening of my own collection while I do chores or read.

I also often listen to the radio or CDs while I commute or walk around.

On weekends or while I'm having my coffee break at noon I'll fire up the headphones for some serious uninterrupted listening, but I rarely exclusively listen to music without doing anything else. That's what the concert hall is for!

[Justin]

Hmmm. After reading your replies and reflecting for a while, I wonder whether my problem with concentration is really that I have somewhat narrow tastes, and I'm just not that interested in a lot of music that I hear. Of course I have a built up a large personal collection of music which I do love and which I can listen to with undivided attention; but when I listen to something new, it's more often the case that it's not going to interest me greatly. I never listen to the radio at all for this reason, and I've realised that I shouldn't go to concerts unless something I know I like is being played.

I guess I was hoping there was some secret shortcut to learning to like pieces faster, but it's probably completely different for everybody.

I'm also interested in what people have said about background music in this thread. Personally, I love to listen to music at every waking moment - when I'm studying, working, cooking, eating, walking or driving somewhere, drifting off to sleep. Pretty much the only exception is when I'm watching TV or a movie.

P.S. To answer knotslip's question: I love to listen to music loud!

[slofstra]

Many years ago I remember feeling exactly the same way.

But now, when I listen, I'm totally focussed, and I'm not doing anything else. When I'm reading or posting on CMG at home, I generally prefer silence in the background. At work I may listen to the CBC or BBC unless I need to really focus on a task.

Basically, like Brendan, my consciousness totally empties out when I listen, and I become immersed in the music. One problem I have is that the effect is very pleasant, and if I'm tired I may fall asleep.

Justin, I think you will find that as you listen to more classical music it will command more of your attention. Try to listen to Mozart's Jupiter Symphony or Bach's Brandenburg Concertoes and take it all in at the same time. Don't let your mind be lazy and just follow the overall shape of the music. Try to take in every line on every instrument. As you do more of this, you'll find that this process becomes easier, and also more rewarding. My theory (by an elk) is that listening to unfamiliar music is not unlike learning the vocabulary of a new language. I suggested those two pieces because of their polyphony, and the better rock music tends to be polyphonic, so these pieces make a good transition. As your taste develops you'll appreciate other aspects of the music (harmony, rhythm, texture).

[Chalkperson]

Chalk-
My audio system is in constant upgrade mode. Being an audiophile hurts the wallet and it seems even though I am very happy with the sound i currently get, I always know it can be improved and so I'm always contemplating the next upgrade.

What about your system?
Thanks.

After fifteen years of Upgrading I am happily at the closest I will ever get to Nirvana, after many years of very heavy and power draining equipment, all requiring major Power Line Conditioners I decided to go in the opposite direction, I purchased all LINN Equipment, which has a very small and completely different design of power management, I have a Linn SACD/CD Transport, that goes into a Preamp and from there into seven Linn 200W Power Amps, Three for the Center and Rear Speakers and then four Power Amps for the Stereo Speakers, two for each channel, it's called Bi-Amping and it puts much less strain on the amps...the Speakers are by Macintosh, they contain Five Tweeters as well as Two Mid Range and one Bass Speaker, they are only 8 inches deep, and sound amazing, although they take about six months to break in...then there is a 1250W Sunfire Sub Woofer...the Cables are from AudioQuest, Cobra Interonnects and Volcano Speaker Cables, Power Cables are from Kimber, and I have a Sony BluRay DVD Player and a 46 inch Bravia TV, Audiophilia is a great disease to get, but the Doctors Bills are High...chalkie

[slofstra]

That's pretty funny, chalkie,
7 x 200 W Linn power amps is "light"? What do you have before, Klipschorns on 50 foot towers?

[Chalkperson]

That's pretty funny, chalkie,
7 x 200 W Linn power amps is "light"? What do you have before, Klipschorns on 50 foot towers?

Linn uses very small Power Supplies compared to most other companies, and the seven amps are housed in only two components which are smaller both in width and height than regular sized components...and by light what I mean is I no longer have the Two PS Audio Power Plant Conditioners or the two PS Audio Stereo Power Amps I used to have, or the five channel Musical Fidelity Power amp that I used for movies...and my electricity bill dropped 100$ a month since I switched...but I still have the 1.5 inch thick speaker cables, two sets per speaker of course...

[knotslip]

That sounds like a great system Chalk - Linn makes some real nice components. I have my speakers bi-wired but no Bi-amping yet. I'm working on getting the components I really want first. I'm getting closer to my dream system, but I am still several years away. I just keep upgrading when I can, getting closer and closer....How do you stay content with what you have? Have you had it for very long or have you just recently acquired that system?

I need to upgrade my TV so I probably won't be upgrading any audio components for a while...but I am very happy with my current system so I should be able to wait a while.

[Chalkperson]

How do you stay content with what you have?

Ah, the what if ? factor...more soon...

[absinthe]

I'm usually pushed for time so the chances to sit down in solitude and listen through my 'system' are few and far between. I don't have anything like these most impressive systems though I build amplification equipment (post D-A in the case of CD) and speakers myself. It allows me to upgrade when money and superior audio-quality components come on the market. I built the infra-sound speaker published about 20 years ago in Hi-Fi answers but no longer use it - few CDs go below the red-book minimum of 20Hz. It was something to sit on while listening to such high-fidelity noises as the Telarc LP recording of the 1812 and some LP-recorded organ music. It made the windows and central heating rattle at certain frequencies.

I use a regulated supply for each power amp (because, though I could design one that regulates to +/- 1% over the full power range, hi-fi buffs insisted the isolation was insufficient! Seriously, separate supplies reduces the weight and heat dispersal problems a bit. Those big toroidals ain't light. A piece of H-girder would make a nice heat-sink.)

But most of my listening is on the move or while I'm doing something else at home / in hotels / rented places. I don't have an ipod, damned if I'm going to add to the apple coffers for a poorly designed product but my mp3 does me adequately. I have modest CD players in kitchen and bedroom.

Chalkperson....do the lights go dim when you switch on your set-up?
.

[Jack Kelso]

If it's a new symphony (or other orchestral work, including baroque) I just grab my baton, put on the CD, find the rhythm and start beating away.

That way I can try to "predict" how the work progress. Through the movement I'm not only increasing my concentration but I'm learning it faster AND doing something (outside of bicycling) good for my heart (in more ways than one!).

Jack

[jbuck919]

If it's a new symphony (or other orchestral work, including baroque) I just grab my baton, put on the CD, find the rhythm and start beating away.

That way I can try to "predict" how the work progress. Through the movement I'm not only increasing my concentration but I'm learning it faster AND doing something (outside of bicycling) good for my heart (in more ways than one!).

Jack

Jack you're an air beater? I wouldn't exactly go around advertising that.

[slofstra]

If it's a new symphony (or other orchestral work, including baroque) I just grab my baton, put on the CD, find the rhythm and start beating away.

That way I can try to "predict" how the work progress. Through the movement I'm not only increasing my concentration but I'm learning it faster AND doing something (outside of bicycling) good for my heart (in more ways than one!).

Jack

Have you ever conducted the Symphony of the Air with your air baton?

[Jack Kelso]

If it's a new symphony (or other orchestral work, including baroque) I just grab my baton, put on the CD, find the rhythm and start beating away.

That way I can try to "predict" how the work progress. Through the movement I'm not only increasing my concentration but I'm learning it faster AND doing something (outside of bicycling) good for my heart (in more ways than one!).

Jack

Have you ever conducted the Symphony of the Air with your air baton?

Ha-ha.....that's a good one!

But seriously---it's good exercise for head and heart, and when I'm done doing a Bruckner or Mahler symphony I've developed a pretty good sweat!

Usually, though I do this twice a week----with a mixed program ranging from Haydn through Hindemith (or farther) lasting circa 90 minutes with a break in the middle---just like a live concert. It's great fun!! --and I can crank up the volume as high as I want.

Tschüß!
Jack