If we're lucky, we learn something every day.
While auditioning with the artist a new set of Octave record mixes we asked them to tell us which of the two they preferred. On the first go-round, the two musicians shrugged and said they didn't hear much in the way of differences.
Knowing they were not used to listening to a reference system like that in Music Room Two I let them settle in and relax. Before long, they were hearing all sorts of differences. And accurately identifying exactly what we had been working on.
What was interesting to me was to watch the time it took for them to relax enough in the new environment to be open to hearing differences.
Their ears and hearing were always the same, yet relaxed vs. uptight made all the difference in the world.
We are not machines.
Listening—really listening—is an emotional event.
