Listening Transformed my Concert Experience

While studying at Texas Christian University I had the opportunity to hear the organist Richard Elliot perform on the brilliant organ in Ed Landreth Hall. It was a very busy time for me, and I felt that I didn’t really have time to hear a world class performer, which is always a bad sign as a music student. A part of my busy schedule was organ lessons, so I decided to attend the recital at least to placate my teacher. 

I had listened to Richard Elliot play since I was a child, and was curious what hearing him play live would offer. The recital started, and while I could tell that the performance was excellent, I felt disconnected with the recital and more connected with the demands of my life. I entered a sort of internal battle, knowing on an instinctive level that I should be thoroughly enjoying the performance even though I wasn’t at the moment. Then I found some sort of mental leverage and was able to shift how I listened. As I did, I found my experience completely transform. The music began to uplift and inspire me, even though a moment before I was receiving next to nothing from the performance. 

This is the potential of learning to listen. I hadn’t discovered the concept of the four filters at this point, but I did learn that night that listening is a key to full musical autonomy and enjoyment. Knowing what I know now, I can say that I moved from a thinking filter to a feeling filter, and that allowed me to be in the space that housed the musician and his music. Interestingly enough, after the performance I overheard another organist who was asked about their experience at the concert. A fairly young organist, he bragged that he would’ve enjoyed it more if the works performed weren’t those that he learned and performed himself. Perhaps it was the experience I just had, or perhaps it's the fact that flaws are easier to see when they’re not attached to yourself, but in that moment I saw someone who hadn’t listened optimally–someone who traveled to see a performance and ended up misusing it through inexperienced or selfish listening. 

How you listen determines what you hear, and whether you’re listening to a recording or to a live performance, it’s always optimal to practice varied and intentional listening. If you have those skills, then even when the music isn’t delivering what you want, you can adjust your ear to hear something that uplifts, sparks joy, and inspires.