Types of Listening & Brain Waves

Discover 4 modes / types of listening and their corresponding brain waves

Listening Types & Brain Waves

Selective Listening

As it suggests, this type focuses on partials and breaks down sonic phenomena to dissect analyze or its qualities by means of content segregation. Here, attention is consciously directed to a particular aspect or part of the sound or music, a distinction is made, and selectiveness occurs. Selective listening is associated with beta brain waves.

Associative listening

brings attention to qualitative aspect of sound or music and makes connections with other matters aka associates with immediate or distant phenomena. This type is experiential and visionary. It is guided by imagination and associated with gammas brain waves. It’s a post thought phenomenon, one that skips the conscious and moves directly to the extra sensory. Meaning is given to the sound at the level of Gamma brain wave

Meditative Listening

Unanalytic noncritical alpha brain wave type of listening comes in conjunction with being relaxed and being at ease. This type is usually associated with meditation, surrender, and timelessness experience. It is non logistic and physiological, sensuous.

Unconscious Listening / Hearing

This is passive background type of sonic reception which suggestes withdrawn attention or simply unconsciousness such as in theta or delta brain activity.

djing vs cooking

Why DJing is like cooking

DJ VS CHEF

DJing and cooking both require skill, creativity, and most importantly the ability to blend elements to make a fine outcome for sensual and vital consumption. Both arts are complementary. Here is how:

1.      Ingredients = Tracks

A chef carefully selects ingredients to make a dish; the DJ carefully selects tunes and sounds to make up a set. Quality selection matters for both. A good balance between tracks makes for a delicate dish. If ingredients are badly selected, the set is ruined.

2.      Spices & Seasoning = Effects & Transitions

Seasoning enhances flavors in cooking; effects, filters and EQ enhances depth and texture of a track. If overdone, it becomes overwhelming. While the right measures can elevate the experience.

3.      Timing and proportion are everything.

Timing is everything in both cooking and mixing. A good timing creates cohesion, balance, and great result. A bad timing throws off taste, balance, and consistency. Proportion of ingredients and spices create the balance of a dish, while on the other hand, proportion of track segments, energy levels, and processing make for a delicate DJ set.

4.      Presentation & Experience matter

Flavors and taste are a big part of the equation, but the result wouldn’t be as memorable and complete without the art of putting on a presentation, in the case of plate décor and garnish from the chef or an engaging performance and memorable looks from the DJ.

5.      Recipes vs Freestyle

DJs and Chefs alike follow recipes and structures to make their results consistent; however, some DJs and Chefs prefer to perform on the fly with what they have and what they feel in the moment. Some use a blend of structure and freestyle to their delight.

6.      Crowd Feedback = Taste Testing

Both the DJ and the chef serve a hungry audience and deliver their output to the senses in real time. The Audience in return gives direct feedback through their gestures, body language, and comments.

7.      Passion & Personal Touch

The best DJs and chefs bring their character into their art and craft a unique signature style through continuous practice and refinement. This journey takes on different lengths and subjective x objective measures for every chef/DJ and makes up for the special quality of the artist.

DJing vs cooking. Both are artists and both refine their craft to meet an audience and give them pleasure. Sensual and vital pleasure are the utter motifs for both the DJ and the chef in their work.

Negative Space in Music

We often hear about negative space in context of design, graphic design especially. Negative space in design associates with elegance and clairvoyance, usually associates with foresight of underlaying potential in the void of space and making it matter by association and relativeness to what surround it. In music it could be nothing short of the same extra ordinariness. It requires insight and breadth of sight simultaneously. Negative space or the silent moments if utilized with vision can make the music shine through, pop, resolve, suspend, or clarify a statement of balance and storytelling that is universal. When negative space is not used, things could get overwhelming and cluttered. The rest is important. Silent makes loud moments feel even more powerful. Art is about tension and release that pulls our emotion in the yard and plays with it. Negative space plays a great role in both escalating or deescalating tension or release factors. In jazz, funk, and hip-hop music, space between notes define groove. Syncopation and off beat accents rely on negative space to create swing and feel. Phrasing impact and over all feel happens in the breath of space. The in of pressing against the instrument, the out of releasing the stroke and the in between fragments of time. Space is dynamic. Negative space helps instruments and voices stand out. Negative space is not just empty, but an active component of the music shaping its course of meaning.