Percussionist and certified deep listening facilitator Dan Johnson outlines some of the practice’s key principles.
In daily life, we’re bombarded with sound: the relentless ping of notifications, the churn of algorithmic playlists, the unceasing chatter of podcasts and short-form videos. But while we may be hearing noise constantly, are we really listening? The avant-garde composer Pauline Oliveros spent decades exploring the difference between the involuntary nature of hearing and the selective nature of listening, eventually coining her theory of deep listening in 1988 after descending into a cave to make a recording.
Her idea was simple. By paying attention to the sounds of the world around us, whether it’s the abrasive grind of a construction site, the sound of a running stream or an album listened to in its entirety, we can unlock a more meaningful relationship to music and the audible world. With so many of us seeking new ways of listening, the practice feels more pertinent than ever.
Here, percussionist Dan Johnson, who has contributed to the book, A Year of Deep Listening: 365 Text Scores for Pauline Oliveros – breaks down its core principles.
Remember: listening is active
“One of the key principles that deep listening is based on is the difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is passive. Listening is active. It’s about dealing with vibrations of all forms. We can’t listen mindlessly if we think about what listening really is. It is giving our attention.”
Hone in on one thing at a time
“The starting point is not to do anything else. Do one thing at a time and focus on that. If it’s listening to music, then just listen to the music. Set aside some time and just listen to a whole album. You don’t have to be scrolling at the same time. Think about the purpose of what you do.”
Listen out for music in the world
“It helped me to hear music in the world, to listen to sounds in the world that sound like something else. I remember walking past a tree full of birds singing and I thought it sounded like Death Grips’ Zach Hill drumming. Another time, I was at a workshop out in Greece, in the hills, and there was a dog barking in the valley. You could just hear this sound bouncing around the valley and it sounded like a lot of ambient music I’ve heard.”
Pay attention to how each sound makes you feel
“Listen to someone or something, and withhold judgment of what you’re listening to. Just allow yourself to experience what happens. Pay attention to how you feel. Consider how sound relates to your body. Do particular sounds resonate in particular parts of your body? Are they creating certain feelings or thoughts?”
Consider the bigger picture of what you are listening to
“I sometimes think of it like food. Am I eating loads of junk food, or am I eating loads of fruit and veg? Think about what you’re consuming and whether it’s a passive or active relationship; are you listening? Are you giving as much as you’re getting? Consider the bigger picture. Consider the personal, social, economic and ecological effects of what you’re listening to, and how you’re listening to it.”
Move your body to music
“Listening to your body is really important. When you move your body with other people, it really strengthens community and connection. It’s a powerful thing to dance with people and talk and move and listen together. It’s about building community with each other and the environment.”
Train your listening
“What we might normally think of as a single sound – ask yourself, how much is actually happening within that sound? Try to listen to an entire soundscape at once, then go as small or as big as you want with that. If it’s some kind of field of sound, start with the sounds closest to you, then gradually expand outwards as far as you can.”
Go to extremes
“You can definitely apply deep listening to all genres and all sounds, but anything at the extreme end of the dynamic range – like minimalism or noise music – can be a good place to start. You can still do deep listening with pop music, but it could be helpful to start with something with less going on.”
Embrace your dreams
“There’s a part of deep listening that focuses on dreams. We all have different relationships with them. They can be a source of creative inspiration and insight, whether in our personal lives or in whatever artistic practice we do. It can be helpful to set an intention before you go to sleep and write down anything you remember as soon as you wake up.”
Tune into silence
“One of the reasons prolonged silence can be so uncomfortable for people is that it forces us to just be with ourselves and really face our mortality. I think that’s why it’s so valuable. Being with silence allows us to experience the true connection that we all share. We’re all human. We’re in it together. Silence really allows us to actually feel that, rather than just knowing it.”
A Year of Deep Listening: 365 Text Scores for Pauline Oliveros is out now on Terra Nova Press
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