READ this post; comment any thoughts you have about the various ways you perceive music
Levels of Perception
We can devote different amounts of attention to our music listening, and in this course, our goal is to reach higher levels of perception than we might be used to. This develops our critical thinking and communication skills, and can help us enjoy our favorite music even more than we already do. In fact, when we train ourselves to listen for more detail, we can actually begin to articulate why a song or piece of music is our favorite - in great detail.
Levels of Experiencing Music
Oblivious
We barely notice the music at all, and can probably recall very little about it when asked later.
Sensuous
We let the sound wash over us like a "sonic bath" or "emotional flood" - paying much more attention to how the music makes us feel or the mood of the music than the actual content or detail.
Perceptive
We delineate (or mentally pick out) different sounds and think about various aspects of the music as it unfolds. We notice more detail and can recall specific musical events or choices that the composer or performer has made.
Peak
We can sometimes be so caught up in the music that we lose ourselves in it. This experience level involves focus, intellect, emotion, and even our cultural conditioning (i.e., how this music is traditionally experienced by the rest of our culture).
Listening to music obliviously is not worse than listening perceptively, they are just different experiences that serve different purposes. However, if we can train ourselves to listen more perceptively, we will find that the emotional impact of music is actually greater when we know more about it.
