Listening to Music: What and How?

Hello Jacky, and all,

Recently I was listening to Seth Austen's "Desert Winds". I found it
a very enjoyable experience, though I was listening to this "kind" of
music for the first time in my life.

This listening session has given rise to a series of nagging
questions: How do we listen to music? What is it in music that we
enjoy? And, especially, how do we acquire taste for music from other
lands? Or, is it inborn? It is an issue of creativity and
aesthetics, as also universality of music. Please let me know your
views on this.

I am trying to find an answer or two, too.

Regards,
Haresh.

--- In tuning@y..., "Haresh BAKSHI" <hareshbakshi@h...> wrote:
> Hello Jacky, and all,
>
> Recently I was listening to Seth Austen's "Desert Winds". I found
it
> a very enjoyable experience, though I was listening to this "kind"
of
> music for the first time in my life.

Haresh,

Seth's "Desert Winds" is a truly beautiful release, which I have
greatly enjoyed for its many levels of perfection; compositionally
and melodically. Seth's music reflects deep beauty of spirit, which I
am greatly humbled by, as does the one recording of music I have
heard from you.

>
> This listening session has given rise to a series of nagging
> questions: How do we listen to music? What is it in music that we
> enjoy? And, especially, how do we acquire taste for music from
other
> lands? Or, is it inborn? It is an issue of creativity and
> aesthetics, as also universality of music. Please let me know your
> views on this.
>
> I am trying to find an answer or two, too.
>
> Regards,
> Haresh.

Back in the early 1990s, I had the great fortune and blessing to be
introduced to a Hindustani family in my area of NC, USA. The
father "Deepak" invited me later to a gathering of seven Hindustani
families, who would meet to play music at his apartment about once a
month. I went there and had one of the most wonderful and lasting
experiences of my life. We all sat on the floor and they played music
for literally hours on end. After we had our delicious meal and much
more music was played, they asked me to play, so with a little
encouragement, I brought in my guitar. I remember my absolute fear to
play in front of these fine people who had just treated me to hours
of some of the most intimate and lovely music I had ever heard, and I
actually broke into a profuse sweat. They brought me a towel, and
after I got my composure back, I asked what we might play together.
Suresh the violin master and teacher, said "why don't we play a
blues"? So I commenced to play a 12 bar blues pattern on my guitar.
Momentarily, the tabla players joined in, then the violin, then flute
and some improvised singing from the three female singers, and
harmonium, as well as everyone was swaying and clapping to the
rhythm. Pure ecstasy filled the room - perhaps like I have never felt
before - it was just the wonderful intimacy of that moment that stays
with me. When we finished about a 40 minute improvisation, everyone
in the room just clapped and clapped. It was such a wonderful union
between us all, and I will forever cherish this memory as one of the
most wonderful and important formative experiences of my musical life.

How do I listen to music I am unfamiliar with, one may ask? I listen
from my heart, and my body - without preconceptions, and a quality of
emptiness, which frees my mind to appreciate almost anything (this
comes from my meditation training, where I contemplate nature and
natural objects without preconceptions; shutting off the judging part
of my ego consciousness, so that some portion of the object under
contemplation may be apprehended and appreciated in a language beyond
words - comprehension with the soul). Even though I didn't then, or
now fully understand what was happening within the cultural context
of that blissful evening, and a great deal of it was incomprehensible
to me; I *did* experience the profound beauty of this wonderful
moment of sharing. As you have wisely suggested to me, it can be
sufficient to appreciate the sounds, and it is not always necessary
to grasp every cultural dimension in order to enjoy musics outside of
ones culture. Music is a Universal Language which speaks to the
ineffable and underlying essences of our existence. This leaps across
cultural boundaries as if they were not there at all, when one's
heart is ready for the transmission. One must understand how to love
unconditionally to experience many rare forms of bliss. Even today, I
still feel the way I did that night when they asked me to introduce
myself, and I said "My name is Jacky Ligon, and I love Indian people
and Indian music", to which the room filled with profuse applause. I
try to apply this evenness of heart to all things, even though I
stand as an imperfect human being.

Eternal Blessings,

Jacky Ligon

on 4/2/01 10:25 PM, tuning@yahoogroups.com at tuning@yahoogroups.com wrote:

> From: "Haresh BAKSHI" <hareshbakshi@hotmail.com>

> This listening session has given rise to a series of nagging
> questions: How do we listen to music? What is it in music that we
> enjoy? And, especially, how do we acquire taste for music from other
> lands? Or, is it inborn? It is an issue of creativity and
> aesthetics, as also universality of music. Please let me know your
> views on this.
>
> I am trying to find an answer or two, too.

Haresh,

In addition to what I wrote you off list, I'd add that perhaps one of the
most important aspects of what I relate to musically is the "heart", that is
whether I feel like the artist is speaking from their true vision as opposed
to doing something that they think will be marketable. Of course, this is a
hard thing to know the intent of an artist, and whether or not they are
communicating what they are attempting.

> From: ligonj@northstate.net
> Subject: Re: Listening to Music: What and How?

> How do I listen to music I am unfamiliar with, one may ask? I listen
> from my heart, and my body - without preconceptions, and a quality of
> emptiness, which frees my mind to appreciate almost anything (this
> comes from my meditation training, where I contemplate nature and
> natural objects without preconceptions; shutting off the judging part
> of my ego consciousness, so that some portion of the object under
> contemplation may be apprehended and appreciated in a language beyond
> words - comprehension with the soul).

> As you have wisely suggested to me, it can be
> sufficient to appreciate the sounds, and it is not always necessary
> to grasp every cultural dimension in order to enjoy musics outside of
> ones culture. Music is a Universal Language which speaks to the
> ineffable and underlying essences of our existence. This leaps across
> cultural boundaries as if they were not there at all, when one's
> heart is ready for the transmission. One must understand how to love
> unconditionally to experience many rare forms of bliss.

Jacky,

You have posted a wonderful answer for any of us wishing to open our minds,
ears and hearts to other artistic experiences. I'll add to my above that I
respond to the sacred in music (not necessarily religious) and to passion of
the artistic expression. And I find these in many diverse forms and styles.
I find myself drawn to music that is "real", so much in our culture is mass
marketed McMusic.

Seth

--
Seth Austen

http://www.sethausten.com
emails: seth@sethausten.com
klezmusic@earthlink.net

Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many
generations; do not believe merely because the written statement of some old
sage is produced; do not believe merely in the authority of your teachers
and elders. After observations and analysis, when it agrees with reason and
it is conductive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and
live up to it. - Buddha