By Liam Pointing
You’re going for a run. You chuck in your earphones. You’re going for a walk. You chuck in your earphones. When did it become a necessity to have a soundtrack accompanying normal, daily activities?
I’m not trying to say listening to music is bad, I love it myself. With seemingly magical powers to change your mood, I would feel lost at times without my favourite tunes playing in my ears. But do we need it all the time?
The first design of headphones came about in the 1880s, and earphones in 1891. Though extremely basic in design, they set a course of development that would change the way we interact with music.
Thanks to portable Walkmans and phones we can now not only listen to what is on our device, but stream almost anything that is out there. The incredible digital revolutions that have taken place have enabled us greater access to content than people 100 years ago could dream of.
But I believe there is benefit in extracting yourself from that phenomenon and sometimes just enjoying whatever activity you are doing for what it is. The mind needs some quiet time, to pause and reflect.
Listening to less might let you appreciate what you do listen to more. Can you honestly say you pay attention to each chord strummed, to each note sung, while going about your day? For me, I don’t, and when I listen to music purely in the moment, without doing anything else, is when I can fully appreciate the harmonies.
From going for a run to being in the gym, I found going music-less changed the experience totally. I was paying more attention to my breath and movements of my body. Don’t get me wrong, I love certain songs to hype me up and get me in the mood. But when that becomes the norm, sometimes doing what is different is surprisingly pleasant.
I’m not trying to tell anyone what to do and give you science-backed facts on cognitive processing or perceptive capabilities when listening or not listening. It is merely a slight suggestion – that sometimes a little quiet can be just as good as the music.
Featured image: Maybe you should try unplugging. Photo: Amin Sani/CC/Pexels
