In this lesson, we’ll find inspiration by listening for pleasure.
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 MP3 player.
Given how relentless music is in our daily lives, it’s little wonder 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 much pleasure, insight, and knowledge.
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. Fiction and poetry are best experienced with yor whole being at once. Music is the same way.
Musical Meditation
I invite — and challenge — you to try centering your attention entirely on a piece of music.
Here are a few tips to get you started:
- If you’ve got kids, get someone to watch them—or wake up earlier than they do (and yes, I do realize this is easier said than done, especially if you’ve got a newborn in the house).
- Before you sit down to listen, decide how long you’re going to spend listening. I suggest starting with just a single piece of music.
- Get comfortable.
- Start the music.
- Close your eyes.
- Listen.
As you’re listening, you can safely expect that your mind will wander. The key is just to eventually notice that your attention has indeed 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. Allow yourself to bob your head, tap your foot, or otherwise move to the music’s pulse. Let this movement happen naturally; don’t force it and don’t consciously attempt to control the dancing.
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 your field of consciousness.
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 the urges without acting on them. They’ll pass. Settle back into the music until your time is up. If your smartphone keeps tempting you, sit on your hands.
I find many listeners nowadays 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 after just a few minutes of one particular song. Notice that urge, too, and let it pass. Hear this piece of music out to the end, just as you set out to do. Let yourself settle into it.
Listening is the wellspring
For any songwriter, listening to great music is a vital source of pleasure and inspiration. 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: Turn off the television. Unplug your internet connection. Plug in your headphones. Close your eyes. Let distractions pass by. And give yourself over to the music.