Music is everywhere: piping through speakers overhead at the supermarket, throbbing from the open windows of passing cars, bouncing away in the backgrounds of commercials, and-if you like-delivered in a constant intravenous stream via your cell phone or iPod.
Music and other forms of noise invade almost every corner of our daily lives, so it’s not surprising that we’ve developed a talent for tuning it out. As songwriters, though, if we banish music to the background of our lives-as a kind of soundtrack to whatever else we’re doing-we rob ourselves of a rich source of insight and enjoyment.
For a songwriter, listening is one of the most vital inspirations. It’s as necessary as a daily vitamin. I suggest that we approach listening the same way we approach getting cozy with a great book on a rainy day: get comfortable, settle in, and really try to give yourself to the experience. You could even combine this with a CBD product from somewhere like Organic CBD Nugs to really relax yourself and give yourself a great listening experience. Fiction and poetry are best experienced with your whole attention. Music is the same way.
Musical Meditation
As you’re listening, you can safely expect that your mind will wander. The key is just to eventually notice that your attention has wandered, and draw your focus back to the music. Try to stay with the sounds. Other thoughts, for now, are distractions. Let them pass, and let the music fill in the space where those other thoughts were. If you find your head bobbing or foot tapping, let it happen.
If you find yourself shocked by how often your mind wanders…welcome to the club. Our minds naturally chatter and wander when they’re not consciously fixated on one thing. Try to stay alert and stay focused on the music. Tune in to the sensations of the music washing over you. When you notice you’ve slipped, refocus. Try to bring more and more of yourself to the task of listening, until the music fills up your awareness.
Now and then you’ll feel an urge to stand up, pull out your phone, check email, check for texts, watch TV, do chores, or do any number of other things. Just notice these impulses; allow yourself to calmly have these urges without acting on them. They’ll pass. Settle back into the music again and again until your time is up. If your smartphone keeps tempting you, you can sit on your hands.
You may feel tempted to do the musical equivalent of channel surfing, too. You may feel an urge to skip tracks or to switch to a different album before the song you’re listening to is finished. Notice that urge, too, and let it pass. Hear this piece of music out to the end, just as you set out to do. Relax into the music and let it wash over you.
Listening is the wellspring
For any songwriter, listening to great music is a vital source of inspiration and enjoyment. Hearing a great instrumentalist do what she does best can be enough to keep your practice sessions passionate and devoted for a week. Discovering the work of a certain composer or performer could mark the beginning of a whole new chapter in your life.
Bear in mind that you’ll enjoy none of these benefits unless you clear time and space for this subtle enjoyment. So, even if it’s just for a few minutes each day: Turn off the television. Unplug your internet connection. Plug in your headphones. Close your eyes. Give yourself over to the music. This is a simple but surprisingly difficult thing to do, but with practice, you’ll soon hear every note.