12.02.09
Evelyn Glennie Shows How To Listen
Sometimes a talk turns into an experience, and Evelyn Glennie delivers. Evelyn is a Grammy-winning percussionist and composer who became almost completely deaf by the age of 12. Who better to teach you how to listen?
As we grow up we repeatedly learn that hearing is through sound, and sound alone. Evelyn enlightens us that this is not the case. Deep down I feel that most people know this is true — listening becomes a poetic, creative journey that moves us in a way almost impossible to achieve otherwise. And yet few people take the time to really analyze this emotion and be moved by it.
Listening is much more then sound. It is feeling. The feelings of vibration, the tone of the music and how it relates to you; the feeling of the composer, their mood, attitude, skill, and professionalism. As you embark an a personally unique adventure, the time passes and you realize, deep down, that you are different not just because of what you heard, but also from what you have experienced from the piece.
Please, do yourself a favor. Watch this talk, and listen to what Evelyn has to say. When it is over and she begins to play, close your eyes. Put your head back, and relax in your chair. Then enjoy the ride of her majestic skills. Let her music envelop you. Let it overwhelm you. Don’t just listen to it — experience it. And when she is done, ask yourself, how did that change me? What did I learn? Who am I now?
Nic Lake said,
December 15, 2009 at 12:11 am
I’m not sure if she says this in the video (haven’t watched it yet), but she actually feels the vibrations of the marimba, which is how she knows she’s playing stuff right. Outstanding musician.