Music is an essential part of each human being’s life. It fulfills the chaotic existence with the harmony of sounds that push the potential of energy into arts, science, and politics. However, not only music serves as a background for various human activities, but it has an intrinsic value. In the essay “How we listen,” Copland argues that the ability to experience the outcome of this value is open to everyone yet rarely used by people (Copland, n.d.). The author distinguishes three planes of music listening: sensuous, expressive, and sheer musical; each of them could be applied to my personal experience with different music.
The three discussed planes can be easily defined and understood. The sensuous plane implies primitive enjoying of the sound of music, not deepening into its sense of composition. Additionally, listening to music for driving into one’s escapist fantasies applies to this way (Copland, n.d.). Personally, I perceive music from this perspective when listening to lo-fi compilations. Indeed, this genre cannot be reduced to background sounds, but many people use this music as a pleasant accompaniment for studying. Next, the expressive plane concerns the emotional content of a composition, which could be derived from its theme (Copland, n.d.).
For me, American rock music of the sixties is of the kind where this plane applying is the most important. These songs sound aggressive and yet desperate to me. Finally, the sheerl musical plane interests the intricate arrangement of a melody, its notes’ composition (Copland, n.d.). It is most relevant for me when I listen to orchestra music where multiple instruments interact to create an integral piece of a masterpiece. Therefore, each plane finds its implication in my reality of music perception.
References
Copland, A. (n.d.). How we listen. Web.