Importance of Listening to Music
How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Most teachers would say “practice, practice, practice”. We say “listen, listen, listen.” While a sufficient amount of quality practicing is essential to succeeding in your lessons, at Muse Academy of Music we believe that listening to music is equally important to your musical success. We encourage you to listen to music regularly as part of your practice routine for your weekly lessons.
Listening will train your ear
Musicians and teachers talk about having a “good ear.” Well what does that really mean? It can mean many things, but generally it refers to your intuitive musical sensibilities; i.e., your ability to recognize, internalize, and reproduce key musical elements such as rhythm, intonation, phrasing and tone color. Listening is one of the best ways to develop this sense of musical intuition, and it will greatly benefit you in your lessons and make learning music easier and more fun!
Listening will broaden your musical horizons
If you take piano lessons, you should of course listen to as much piano music as possible, but why not also explore some music for other instruments? Check out some music for violin, or maybe something a bit more out of the ordinary like oboe or bassoon. Feel the depth and power of a full symphony orchestra performing a Beethoven symphony, or listen to the wide array of sounds that can be produced with electric guitars. The more exposure you can get to all styles of music through listening, the better.
Listening will inspire you
At Muse Academy of Music, we believe in the effectiveness of passion-based learning, especially in music and the arts. Listening to great music is one of the best ways to become inspired, which is why we strongly encourage exploratory listening as a supplement to your lessons. Whether its a great recording of piece you are working on in your lessons, or an entirely new type of music you have never heard before, the more you listen, the more likely you are to find something that will spark your interest and enhance your musical learning.
Listening Resources
Check out these listening resources for some ideas on where to find great music in San Diego and around the web.
