Comments on: Comprehensive Listening

By: sachu

sachu — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:42:29 +0000

i wish to know about the listening around me

By: AJ Harbison

AJ Harbison — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 02:54:00 +0000

Hi Shannon,
Thanks for contributing to our discussion! You make some good points. I suppose my construing of those phrases that way is more an issue of semantics than substance. There are many New Age-ish and spiritual writers/speakers/concepts that have used those phrases with the metaphysical connotations I noted; and I think there are more uses of those phrases in that context than in any other (except perhaps drugs, regarding the former). And so my own listening conditioned me to hear (read) those phrases with those connotations. But it seems that not everyone has the same perspective, and certainly no one grows up with identical listening environments. If nothing else I suppose this discussion will cause me to be more thoughtful when discussing these topics and phrases in the future!

AJ Harbison

By: Shannon

Shannon — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 01:05:00 +0000

Hi!
I think it’s interesting that the phrases “heightened state of awareness” and connections “to all that there is” are construed as new-ageish or spiritual. I’m wondering if it is because our culture considers overt action to be the predominant method of connecting (talking, for example).
It seems pretty obvious that an active listening practice will lead to a heightened state of awareness, regardless of the spiritual belief system of the listener, and probably greater connectivity as well, based on the heightened awareness that is bound to develop.
Great discussion – let’s keep it going!
Sincerely,
Shannon Morrow (Deep Listener)
Durham, NC

By: AJ Harbison

AJ Harbison — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 07:08:00 +0000

Michelle,
Thanks for joining in the discussion! I appreciate your comment. Comprehensive listening, I suppose, is what I am taking for myself from the specific practice of Deep Listening. And as you say–and as Ms. Oliveros stated earlier–the important thing is the listening itself!

By: michelle

michelle — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 03:26:00 +0000

interesting thread of comments. speaking for myself, having been officially a deep listening “practitioner” for about 8 years, i’d say you take/make what you wish of this practice…listening is what’s really at the heart of it. whatever gets you there is less important than actually just being there.

By: ryan fleming

ryan fleming — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:51:00 +0000

I see! I will have to further read into the meaning of “Deep Listening”. I am not sure what is meant by these spiritual trappings. It is an interesting thought that some people would use the listening of music and sound as a means to some sort of spirtuality. I suppose that sound is one of the main senses and should be used in this sense. Some might use music to connect with “all that there is” and others would use music as a means of worship.

By: AJ Harbison

AJ Harbison — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:57:00 +0000

Fleming:
I agree that each label emphasizes slightly different aspects of the same activity. I have nothing against the label of “Deep Listening,” and would gladly have adopted it myself, were it not for the metaphysical connotations I talked about. As the quote in the post indicated, “Deep Listening” is actually trademarked, apparently. Not for fear of trademark infringement so much as respecting Ms. Oliveros’ label for her own practice, I feel that my activity without “spiritual trappings” needs its own title.

AJ Harbison

By: Ryan Fleming

Ryan Fleming — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:15:00 +0000

I believe that both of these titles are suitable for this practice. Comprehensive listening leads me to the idea of trying to to take in every sound that exists at a particular moment. Deep listening reminds of having a “deep” or focussed concentration on the noise that is around me. Both of these ideas convey the same meaning to me.

By: paulineo

paulineo — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:26:00 +0000

If you would like to know more about Deep Listening I have written extensively on the subject. Deep Listening: A Composer's Sound Practice, iUNIVERSE 2005 is a starter.

I appreciate your criticism of my practice. Your criticism might change over time or you could start your own Comprehensive Listening without any spiritual trappings.

In any case I am glad that you are listening.

By: AJ Harbison

AJ Harbison — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:43:00 +0000

Paulineo:
Thanks for stopping by TLB! I checked out your blog--having a "virtual ensemble" in Second Life is an awesome idea.

As far as my comments on Deep Listening: I must confess that I've never truly researched the concept, so I could be misrepresenting it. But from what I've heard and from the two paragraphs I quoted from the website, it seems that Deep Listening involves unnecessary elements of metaphysics. My own worldview doesn't allow for connections "to all that there is" (in a metaphysical sense), nor do I think that a "heightened state of awareness" is necessary--that's my personal opinion. The exercise of listening to every sound doesn't need to be spiritualized. For those reasons I believe it to be misled, which is what I intended to write rather than "mislead"--my apologies for that.

So I was looking for a term that would communicate the action of listening to every sound while not involving the metaphysical connotations; thus "comprehensive listening."

I hope that answers your questions, and I hope you might find the blog interesting enough to stop by now and again!

AJ Harbison