Close your eyes. Imagine you’re listening to your favourite song, album, or artist.
Where are you?
Are you standing?
Perhaps you’re sitting in a comfy chair?
Are you alone or with someone?
Does it matter?
What is the ideal way to consume music?
In a modern world that is moving at a breakneck speed, it is rare to find ourselves just sitting down and listening to music. With nothing else distracting us or vying for our attention. The question that presents itself, is whether that matters?
It is uncommon that a clandestine listening environment results in us finding our favourite music. Those voices that stay with us, the tunes that rattle around in our heads. It is often that these songs come to us, muffled, drowned out by the noise of conversation, or simply in passing.
In a chicken and egg scenario, we introduce the ideas of hearing and listening. We are constantly hearing, but to listen takes concentration, or does it?
Everyday life can have us listen to one thing, when we should be listening to something else. We are distracted by a noise. Were we already hearing it but not listening, or did we listen immediately?
There is a notion that stillness denotes concentration. A fallacy that does not delineate between the separation of mind and body. For many, the movement of the body can introduce a stillness to the mind. Of course, this is not to say all movement achieves this. Rigorous exercise often requires immense concentration of the mind. Even going as far as inducing a flow-state, where the body is in full control.
Instead, activities like walking or yoga can achieve a state in which the mind is primed to receive sounds most openly. With the former a far more approachable form of habitually consuming music.
Though, with all this examination of an idyllic mindset and environment in which to listen to music. We arrive back at the start, with the question of whether it does in fact matter?
It seems laughable to suggest the reason you didn’t like an album was because you were listening to it in the wrong environment, but there may be some truth to it.
Realistically, positive environments and scenarios may make us more receptive to new music. To broadening our horizons and enjoying a song we might not have given a second thought to otherwise. However, music that you are hardwired to enjoy, will always resonate. If a song fits the parameters of your favourite genre, your ears are bound to prick up. Whether you’re on a date that is going terribly, or in the middle of a job interview. You will begin listening.
The truth of the matter is, there is no perfect environment for listening.
Just your perfect music
