We all think we’re listening.
But most of the time, music becomes background — something that happens to us rather than something we engage with.
Active Listening changes that. It’s the art of being present with sound — noticing how each layer breathes, moves, and interacts. Once you start doing this intentionally, you’ll never quite hear music the same way again.
It’s a simple shift with huge results.
The more you listen with awareness, the more your inner ear begins to sing back.
You start recognising patterns, energy, and emotion — the very things that make playing by ear possible.
“When you water your musical garden with focused attention, your ear begins to bloom.”
And one listen is never enough.
Each repetition reveals something new — a hidden instrument, a subtle change, a small detail that went unnoticed before.
At this stage, aim to listen to each track at least five to ten times, letting your focus shift each time. As you progress, you may find yourself returning to pieces thirty or more times, discovering new layers with every listen. That’s how your ear — and your musical garden — truly grows.
This short cluster of lessons will help you grow the roots of that awareness. You’ll listen in three ways — for Instrumentation, Form, and Feeling — and begin to build habits that will quietly transform every note you play.