How We Listen by Aaron Copland - Article Example

Mariam Kurasbediani Dr.Borja Dis 100 2/13/15 How We Listen by Aaron Copland In his essay, How We Listen, Aaron Copland ifies the listeningprocess into three parts: the sensuous plane, the expressive plane, and the sheerly musical plane (p 10). I believe by this mechanical separation, Copland succeeds in discussing a difficult topic, so natural that most people tend to bypass it. He uses an analogy and sometimes stresses in certain situations where these planes are underutilized. The main purpose of this paper is to enlighten the audience on the art of listening and its importance to effective communication just as Copland explains it in his renowned essay (p 9). The paper will candidly explain what defines listening and how effective listening skills can drive a positive communication. He succeeds in the clarification because of two main methods: 1. Categorizing the listening process in different parts and using an analogy to unite it and bring back the general idea of the listening process and, 2. By addressing, the various problems faced in the process of listening, so readers get to understand and have a different view of the text.  People look on the sensuous plane for pure entertainment. For example, turning on the radio while doing something else and absentmindedly bathes in the sound. A good listener should realize that a lovely sounding music is not necessarily great music (p 10). I believe the sensuous plane before the other two is a useful technique since this is the plane most people often relate to the most. Second plane is the expressive one. Copland then discusses the notion of meaning in music. In his view, music has a meaning but the meaning is not concrete, and sometimes it is difficult for it to be expressed in words (p 11). This plane explains why music has a moving and relaxing effect on us. It is harder to grasp and requires more deep thought because Copland claims that meaning in music should be no more than a general concept. This issue is very philosophical, and one must accept the train to understand this plane.   The next plane deals with the manipulation of the notes and offers a more intellectual approach to enhancing musical appreciation (p 10). The actual structure of the music as such the length of the note, pitch, harmony, and tone color are emphasized in this section of the essay. This fundamental study of the structure is necessary to form a firm foundation for the musical piece and to understand the diagnosis of it (p 12). This technical and more scientific plane is contradictory to the philosophical sensuous plane. For this reason, it is another useful technique of Copland to use factual observations to explain the listening process to the satisfaction of the readers. After expounding his theory in the way we listen, Copland uses the analogy of a theoretical play to drive the point home. This is yet another useful technique used by him: it gives him the leeway to demonstrate clearly the interrelating of the three planes. Regarding the ideal listener, Copland says: In a sense, the ideal audience is both inside and outside the music at the same moment, judging it and enjoying it, wishing it would go one way and watching it go another, almost like the composer at the moment he composes it; because in order to write his music, the composer must also be inside and outside his music, carried away but it and yet coldly critical of it.  It is obvious that in Coplands view the best approach consists of the balanced mixture of all three planes. Copland uses the three planes of the listening process to mark the division of his essay. For great clarity, the text is very clearly organized. He starts with the introduction and tackles the sensuous plane in the second paragraph (p 13). Many people may wonder what kind of a problem lie in a pure entertainment plane. He claims that the sensuous plane is abused by people who indulge in music listening to escape reality, yet still address themselves as real lovers of music. He warns: Yes, the sound appeal of music is a potent and primitive force, but you must not allow it to usurp a disproportionate share of your interest. The sensuous plane is an important one in music, a paramount one, but it does not constitute the whole story.  Here, the understanding of the sensuous plane and the actualization that there are more planes in the listening process is stressed. First, the essay stress that the simplest way to listen to a music is for the sheer pleasure of the musical sound (p 12). Listing for sheer pleasure of the music will make the listener not pay attention to other aspects of the music that otherwise would have been considered for example, the message in the whole idea. This kind of listening is what the writer refers to as sensuous plane. This kind of listen will make attention looks like usher the listener with a state of brainless ( p 13). At this point of listening, the listener state of mind is just engendered by a mere sound of appeal of the music. The listener may appear absent minded yet listening to every detail of pleasure from the music. Copland then continues with the expressive plane, objecting to the notion of simple-minded people that music should have concrete meaning. In expressive plane, Copland says that music is treated on ground of controversy (p 13). This notion makes the composer uneasy and shy away from discussion that are directed towards music’s expressive side. Copland expresses in explanation of the same that music has an expressive power. This is the power that gives all music certain meaning behind the notes and that meaning behind the note forms what the piece is trying to say or simply put as what the piece is all about (p 12). He says that even though all music have meaning, the meaning can never be stated in so many words. His notion is in contrary of what he says the simple mind always expect. He argues that simple minds always expect music to have meaning and the more concrete the meaning the better. He feels music mirrors different kind of feeling and therefore a need for adjustment in listening. Good music will always give a given feeling and the more the beautiful a theme seems to an individual, the harder he find any word any word that will describe it to his complete satisfaction (p 13). Even if a listener is very fortunate that he can explain his own satisfaction the reality still remains that the expression still narrows down to individual satisfaction. Even in that individual case, it still doesn’t mean that other people will be satisfied with the same explanation. The most important in expressive lane therefore is the fact that each one feel for himself the specific expressive quality of the theme or, similarly of the entire piece of music. This means a great piece of work will always mean not the same or exact thing each time an individual listens to it. He therefore brings the idea that themes or pieces need not to always express one emotion or course (p 13). All the proposals therefore mean that that words cannot explain meaning and that people should just be satisfied with a general concept: feel the music.  Moving to the third plane -the sheerly musical one- Copland talks about music in terms of notes. He insists that an intelligent must be prepared to increase his awareness of the musical material and what happens to it (p 12). To do this the listener must be able to hear melodies, the rhythms, the harmonies, tone color in a more conscious way (p 14). In order to follow line of composer’s thought, the listener in this case must know something of the principles of musical form. It is listening to all the elements mentioned that he considers listening on the sheerly musical plane. This plane concentrates on musicians and the audience alike (p 11). What may go wrong with the makers of music themselves? According to Copland, professional musicians are sometimes too conscious of the notes, “They [professional musicians] often fall into the error of becoming so engrossed with their arpeggios and staccatos that they forget the deeper aspects of the music they are performing.”From this statement, it is evident that there is a fear of losing the actual meaning of music by ignoring the real sense of the words and language of expression. On the other hand, we have the general audience (p 13). Listeners often neglect them. In addition, he argues, "a good listener should know the musical structure in order to enhance the enjoyment of music on this plane". Copland therefore candidly show that besides the pleasurable sound of music and the expressive feeling that gives off, music does exist in terms of notes themselves and of their manipulation (p 13). He however indicate that most listeners are not equipped in this listening aspect. In conclusion, Copland puts a lot of emphasis on the need for readers to have a vivid view of the listening process, which he successfully splits up in order to drive his point home. He says that we actually never listen on one or another of these planes. We therefore must incorporate or correlate them that is, listening, in all the three ways at the same time. This he say requires no mental effort as most of us do it instinctively. For this reason, the careful division of the process expresses the success of the essay. It is clear that, for us to be effective music listeners, we need to practice and incorporate the above guidelines or views into our normal music listening sessions. It is also clear that individual listening is a function of different planes meant for a specific satisfaction. Work Cited Copland, Aaron. How we listen. New York: McGraw-Hill 1957. Print Read More