Learning to listen

At a recent event hosted by the Grace Central Arts Guild, a group of people (myself included) did something extremely rare. We sat around and listened to music together. Each person brought a song on vinyl or CD to share--because it meant something to that person, or it was just a particularly great song, etc. (I brought "3 Broken Words" by the Black Swans because a. I love the one-of-a-kind, hand-painted vinyl packaging of Change! and the accompanying insert, b. the Black Swans' unhurried pace causes me to physically slow down and mentally take stock, and c. I think it's a shining example of music that's both gorgeous and forlorn.)

Getting together with other people for the sole purpose of listening to music seems like such a simple concept, and yet I can't remember another time in the last few years when I listened intently to recorded music while the people around me followed suit. In that intimate setting, I was amazed by how much I could appreciate a song--because of its musical strengths, sure, but more so because I listened to someone else explain why the song meant something to him or her. I can honestly say it's the first time I truly "got" opera.

I listen to music on my own all the time, of course, sometimes focusing solely on the album, sometimes just as background music. And, if you'll allow me to sound like a pretentious music writer for just a second, lemme give you a tip: If you really want to get to the bottom of an album, to truly understand it, listen with headphones. Not those standard-issue iPod headphones or old-school Walkman headphones. Really good headphones that allow you to hear all the intricacies of the recording. (They don't have to break the bank, either. I've got an in-ear set from Sony that's terrific.)

It may sound obvious, but I've found it's one of the only ways to utterly immerse yourself in the music--removing all other auditory distractions. Slowly, all the mental walls that prevent you from absorbing the music begin crumbling, and all that's left is you and the artist.

So, two challenges for the musically inclined (including myself):

1. Find time to listen to music--and discuss--with other people, and that's all. The only other thing on the agenda for the evening should be the brand of coffee or beer.

2. Listen to full albums alone on a nice set of headphones. (If you're the type who composes end-of-the-year lists, mental or otherwise, I'd wager that the albums toward the top will be ones you spent the most time with in this way.)