Day 4

The notion of music as "background" has always been somewhat alien to me - I've always wanted to really listen to music when I like it, which can be a problem at parties :-)

Noticed lots of influences of other times I have heard this music or similar music before. Appreciated the artists that know how to touch our hearts with sound.

:) I like that... when i'd written to be aware of commentaries there was an agenda i'd not realized, having to do with my own tendencies not to hear the music (now) but to remember films it was featured in for instance and to want to follow that by finding the film, or to think about the version as compared to others. But including those influences appreciatively somehow was in a blindspot.. many artists playing 'together' as it were. Nice.

I chose a favorite piece that has definite peaks and valleys. I notice when I come away from hearing it only the peak is lingering in memory and connection with those minutes, and another piece remembered during the listening is inserting itself. My tendency is to follow that too, but I'll show restraint (for now). edited 12:45, 25 Mar 2013

I set aside everything ... took three deep breaths and started listening to a chorus of voices. I didn't understand the words they were singing but noticing how familiar the sounds were to me. Hard to imagine having never heard their voices before ... listening seemed more personal ... more just for me somehow ... early in the morning as the sun is coming up the chorus gets louder, each voice with its own song ... I listen intently ... the birds are singing and I hear them from the seat in my backyard theater.

I listened to the 'Stabat Mater Dolorosa (first movement.)' I find this piece very moving, a powerful sadness. I wonder how the music conveys this to me since it is sung in Italian. I heard a radio program recently describing the piece and how it is about the suffering of Mary, the mother of Jesus, at his crucifixion, but that doesn't add to the sadness for me. I notice how strong the urge is to share this piece with others and imagining their reactions. edited 14:13, 25 Mar 2013

Opened itunes, closed my eyes and rolled the mouse, took 3 deep breaths and clicked.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPCCAv5eQiA

This amazingly joyous music broke a dam in my heart and I cried and cried and cried.
Music has always been the joy to my pain, the hearts way of easing burdens.
Dancing in the winds of change.

I decided to listen to : http://youtu.be/ySzyJqcpT5I .
To me music has always been "the way to the gods" - this song is somehow totally captivates me from the first sounds till the end ...I am sitting here trying to explain ...but I find it very hard to express something that is so beyond words ;)

Found myself being somewhat picky about what to listen to, there's so many pieces that play as being, sing that song. Chance brings up a piece, set a boundary/timer/breaths:

_/\_

The music ends, space trembles, the song echoes, comes and goes.

The timer rings.

(I'm eager to, but also afraid to, listen to the pieces - and a dawn chorus! - listed above. More dying in the is-ness :-)