By: Athena Zapantis
Listening to music may seem like a simple task, but it can be much more difficult than you think.
Your first step to becoming an expert music-listener is determining what your goals are when you listen. What are you trying to accomplish? This can range from simply having fun to creating an in-depth analysis of the song.
I listen to music for fun!
Your first step for making the most of your music-listening is finding a genre, subgenre, or even musical group that you like, and then listening to a song in those categories that you’ve never heard before. You may discover that you enjoy listening to a whole new kind of music! Not everyone listens to music just for fun, though.
I listen to music to feel my emotions more deeply!
Again, find a genre, subgenre, or musical group that you like, but this time, you should find something that channels your emotions. Are you angry while listening? Listen to music that is more intense. Think about the lyrics (or if it’s instrumental, the unspoken musical phrases) and think about how they apply to you. Feeling your emotions more deeply can be an incredible experience, but there is more to music than emotions and recreation — music-listeners also have the opportunity to learn!
I listen to music to learn more about history!
The musical historians will need much focus, flexibility, and a willingness to explore. Again, the goal here is to find different music than what you are used to. To learn, it is necessary to step out of your comfort zone. If you listen to music with words, then find music that is in a language that you do not hear often, and note the tonal differences to what you are used to. You may find yourself interested in the linguistic differences—note the lyrics and their meaning in context. If you’re interested in the musical differences, note the instruments they use, the time signature, and the relationship of the melody and harmony to the tonal center. As mentioned, this will take a lot of focus. Fortunately, not every music-listening session is all about focusing on the music.
I listen to music while I study!
Interestingly enough, those who do double duty with music and studying should not choose music that is particularly interesting to them. Depending on your study goals, you may want to choose music that makes you feel certain ways. If you are trying to work quickly, you may want to choose music with a faster tempo and a more intense beat, such as rock or metal music. However, if you are working slowly and methodically, you may do better with a ballad-like song.
There are so many benefits to having a goal and achieving it while listening to music. Many experience new feelings in this process. That’s great! In fact, that’s the goal. Music is an art form, and it’s one to be constantly explored.