There are very few people in the world who can honestly say they don’t like music. Even if they don’t like music much, there is still likely to be something that appeals to them, perhaps because it has a special meaning or it has lyrics that are important, for example.
However, most people actively love music, and they’ll listen when they get a chance to. Of course, listening to music is only the start, and if you want to enhance your musical experience in life, there are a variety of things you can do to enjoy music even more. With that in mind, read on to find out what some of these things are so you can bring even more music into your life in all kinds of different ways.
Dive Deeper
When you first hear a song, you’ll either like it or you won’t. However, this is only your first impression, and if you want to enjoy music even more, it’s a good idea to listen to a piece of music or a song more than once. You need to dig deeper into it and uncover its hidden meanings and themes.
Your first listen might give you an overall view of things, but it’s the subsequent, more careful listens that will tell you everything you need to know about it, and it’s well worth trying to get behind that first impression to see whether the song is really something you enjoy or not.
This might sound as though it would rob the music of any enjoyment factor, but that’s not the case. It will actually give you more of an appreciation for the music and help you to understand what the composer was thinking. In that way, you’ll be opening up your mind to deeper thought for every piece of music you hear, and that will enhance your listening experience hugely.
See Live Performances
Whenever possible, you should see (and, of course, hear!) live performances of music. This is very different from listening over headphones or on the car radio. It’s a unique experience that brings in all the emotion and skill of the performer and the composer, and it helps you understand more about the true meaning behind the music. It also means you can see people playing instruments, and that will help you identify different sounds and perhaps even give you a way to start composing your own music (more on that later).
It’s not just the music that is important when it comes to live performances; it’s the atmosphere that makes it so different and special. At a concert, the crowd will be excited and they will bring their own feeling to the event. At a musical theatre show, the audience will be quieter, but the reactions they have to what is happening will make you feel part of the group, which is a positive association with music.
Try as many different live performances as you can to feel the differences. Don’t worry if you don’t want to camp in a field to experience everything about Glastonbury or similar festivals, however; there are other options, such as Glastonbury festival glamping, that mean you don’t have to miss out but don’t have to be uncomfortable either.
Learn An Instrument
If you really love music and you want to enjoy it more, why not take up an instrument? As we mentioned above, watching people play instruments certainly gives you another look at how it all works and what comes together to create just one song or piece of music. If you were to choose an instrument so that you could be a part of that creation, imagine how much more you would hear when you listened to other people playing. Choose an instrument that suits your preferences and skills so that you can play the kind of music you like the most. For example, if you love rock, pick an electric guitar or the drums. If you love classical music, a violin or clarinet might be better. Big band songs benefit from brass instruments. If you can’t choose, the piano is an excellent choice as it covers a broad range of different music.
Once you know how to play an instrument and read music, you might even consider composing some of your own songs. Again, this will give you the ultimate control over music and ensure that you never listen to any other piece in quite the same way – this is a good thing that will enhance your experience of music for the rest of your life.
