One of the most pleasurable AURAL – or hearing related – experiences is listening to music.

Different levels of attentiveness impact how we listen to music. There are 3 types of listening that we will explore in this chapter. Casual listening – when music blends in with the background, considered “elevator music” Sensuous listening – when the listener becomes completely absorbed in the music, considered “goose bump” music. Perceptive listening – listening to and appreciating music for its full range of technical and expressive qualities

The more we understand music, the more apt we are to have a “peak experience.” Many people call this an AESTHETIC experience. Aesthetic is characterized by a heightened sensitivity to the content, form, or emotional impact of an artistic work or event.

Situation 1: sitting in the reviewing stand at a July 4 th parade, noisy crowd, hawking vendors, band is approaching in the distance Situation 2: band arrives at the viewing stand, musicians face the crowd, people are emotionally stirred by the music Situation 3: in class analyzing the musical aspects of the march, focusing on the social function of the music.

Becoming a Perceptive Listener We rely on the aspects of music we know about to analyze the music we listen to, including melody, rhythm, harmony, timbre, texture, and form. The more you know about these elements the easier it is to understand the music you hear.

Most of the music you hear is based on a scale. A scale is a sequence of tones arranged in rising pitches. Most of the music we hear is based on major or minor scales. Major scales are sequences of eight pitches built on the pattern of 2 whole steps, 1 half step, 3 whole steps, 1 half step (WWHWWWH)

Intervals Just as in math, an interval is the distance between two objects - in this case, two pitches. A melody can move up or down, by step or skip. We memorize the sounds of the intervals to link the notes together. Perfect 4 th – Perfect 5 th – Major 6 th – Octave -

How we experience music… Experiencing music alone – we choose music to match our mood Experiencing music together – how we react to music depends on the type of music, how it is being used, and where you hear it “Musicians work hard to communicate the expressive qualities and technical demands of the music they are performing.” – AGREE OR DISAGREE?

Performing Music Alone Guitar – Libby Larsen has called the electric guitar the most important musical instrument of the past 50 years. The method for tuning a guitar was developed so musicians could minimize movement of the left hand. In MOST situations, the left hand pushes down the strings to change chords while the right hand strums. Native American Flute – Today, there is a renewed interest in the instrument. Artist: John Rainer Jr.

Performing Music Together Texture - the way sounds are woven together Ensemble – cooperative musical expression Monophonic – in unison with everyone sounding the same pitch or octave at the same time Mariachi – a musical group with several violins, trumpets, large bass guitar, and special 5 and 6 string guitars. Virtuoso – a performer with brilliant, flawless technique

Criteria for Critiques More than one’s opinion, it’s presenting facts about the performance Critics look at many different criteria for critiques: Timbre – Expressiveness – Technique – Presentation – Impact -

Critics DO have an impact on the success of an artist. Virtuoso – a performer with brilliant, flawless technique