Arooj Aftab on learning to listen deeply
Singer and composer Arooj Aftab recalls the transformative impact that learning to listen deeply had on her enjoyment of music, and on her future songwriting
When I was about ten, I started listening more deeply to music because the songs I really liked I had over-listened to, but I wanted to somehow keep listening to them. I started paying attention to different parts and that’s how the songs opened up: the music, the layers, the arrangements; things that were happening in the bassline, and so on. My mind became more open to hearing those things.
It was something I would have to focus on doing. It was exciting – like a challenge, almost. I wouldn’t do it all the time. I somehow had the ability to not do it when I wanted. If I was listening to a piece of music for the first time, I wouldn’t – I would just listen to the song [as a whole]. In that way, I was training my ear and learning how to control what I listened to. I was obsessed with music, so whatever way I could enjoy it the most, I would do that, then figure out ways to enjoy it more.
Michael Jackson was the one I would do it with the most. His music has layers upon layers to it. I would do it with Mariah Carey, too. There was a lot going on in the arrangements back then, a lot of information in the tunes. It was also fun to listen to the Spice Girls that way because their vocal arrangements were crazy.
Since you made me think about this, I’m like, “Oh yeah, that’s what I mean when I say I like my music to have secrets”; so that when you listen again, you hear something you hadn’t before. But at the same time, I’m also pursuing writing songs that aren’t too fatiguing to the ear. You should be able to hear it and love it on the surface, and then if you want to go deeper, you can find all these beautiful things worked in there. Because I’ve been deep listening for such a long time, I’ve developed this ability to make choices because I know what I like, really clearly.
Lynnée Denise, who wrote the liner notes for Night Reign, mentions Pauline Oliveros. I think the idea of quantum listening definitely plays a part here. I’m still discovering what that even means, but I’m glad there’s words to articulate what I’ve been trying to do.
Night Reign is out now on Verve Records
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