How to Truly Listen

The speaker expresses gratitude for the presentation by Herbie Hancock and acknowledges the combination of technology and human skill in music.
The speaker's primary aim is to "teach the world to listen."

Translation: Reading and following musical instructions (tempo, dynamics, etc.)
A musician can technically read music and follow instructions, such as tempo markings and dynamics.
Example: Playing a simple piece of music, translating the written instructions into sound.
The piece indicates tempo, playing location on the drum, which part of the stick to use, dynamics and snare drum (snares on, snares off).
Interpretation: Adding personal understanding, feeling, and expression to the music.
Playing only what is written (translation) would lead to a short career.
Interpretation involves understanding what is not explicitly written in the music.
Analogy: Initial impressions of a person are shallow compared to deeper understanding through time and interaction.

Listening to oneself is crucial.
Example: Holding a drumstick tightly creates tension and detachment.
Loosening the grip allows for more dynamic range with less effort, creating a feeling of oneness with the instrument.
Musicianship involves interpretation, requiring time with instruments and people.
Playing as a technician vs. a musician shows a clear difference in expression and feeling.

The speaker shares an anecdote about learning timpani at age 12.
The teacher emphasized listening, but the speaker also recognized feeling the music through hands, arms, and body.
Lessons involved tuning drums to narrow pitch intervals and feeling the vibrations.
Hands were placed on the wall to feel the sounds of instruments, connecting more broadly than just through the ears.
The ear is subject to room acoustics, amplification, instrument quality, and sticks used.
The speaker used different sticks of same weight but different sound colours.
The idea being each individual has their own unique sound color and personalities.

The Royal Academy of Music initially rejected the speaker due to her deafness.
The speaker challenged their reasoning, emphasizing the ability to perform, understand, and love sound creation.
The academy eventually accepted her, leading to a change in policy regarding disabilities.
Music institutions in the UK were no longer allowed to refuse applicants based on disabilities, focusing instead on musical ability.
This resulted in a diverse group of students entering music institutions.

Music (or sound) is described as a daily medicine.
Example of a 15-year-old with challenges (movement, deafness, blindness) experiencing music through vibrations of a marimba.
The placement relative to the instrument affects the experience of sound.
Each person experiences sound differently based on their position and participation.
Imagining sound based on visual cues (e.g., a tree moving in the wind).
Performances are based on personal experience, not just replicating existing interpretations.
The acoustics can affect the sound (soft and loud sounds).

Access to sound has impacted music institutions and schools for the deaf.
Acousticians are consulting with hearing-impaired individuals to design better halls.
The goal is to create spaces where a full range of sound can be experienced without cosmetic enhancement.
Challenging assumptions about deafness, blindness, and physical disabilities.
Small steps and improvements are significant.

Importance of testing our listening skills using our body as a resonating chamber.
Avoiding judgment and giving music time to be understood.
Fluidity and openness in music (no right or wrong).

Asking the audience to create the sound of thunder through clapping.
Encouraging creative and unconventional approaches to sound production.
Example: Thunder, snow and rain clapping.
The interesting this is no-one got out of their seats and used their body as extra instruments.
Encouraging people to be alert throughout their clapping.
Relating sound to physical experiences.

Anecdote: The speaker's teacher allowed her to explore a drum for seven days without instruction.
Experimentation with the drum's parts, materials, and interactions with the body.
This unstructured exploration provided invaluable experience not found in study books.

Encouraging the audience to open up their bodies to experience sound fully at concerts.
Acknowledging the performer's unique perspective and the rawness of the initial sound creation.
The importance of experiencing the entire journey of a sound.