Distinguishing Between Hearing and Listening

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When many of us think about the two words, “hearing,” and, “listening,” we do not really think they are two completely different terms and used differently on a day to day basis. “Hearing is the process, function, or power of perceiving sound; specifically: the special sense by which noises and tones are received as stimuli (merriam-webster,1828).” Listening on the other hand is completely different, “Listening is to hear something with thoughtful attention, to be alert to catch an expected sound (Merriam-Webster, 1828). When we listen, we take in everything that is being said to us either to understand, think deeper, or to respond. For example, when we are in class we tune everything out to listen to our professor so that we get the under …show more content…

For example, when artists listen to music they take in every little thing that is going on in the song, meaning all the instruments being used to make the beat and all the lyrics being said and how they want to say it, so that everything flows together. When artists listen to music they use, “reduced listening,” which means they listen to the tone and pitch of the beat and the instruments, they also think about the feelings and mood being used to make the song. For example, if they are making a beat they start off with a drum for instance they need to think whether they want this song to be an upbeat, happy or a sad, upsetting song. They need to incorporate feelings into the song so that when people are listening to it they can relate to the song as well.
In reduced listening the descriptive inventory of a sound cannot be compiled in a single hearing. One has to listen many times over, and because of this the sound must be fixed, recorded. For a singer or a musician playing an instrument before you is unable to produce exactly the same sound each time. She or he can only reproduce its general pitch and outline, not the fine a sound event and render it unique. Thus, reduced listening requires the fixing of sounds, which thereby acquire the status of veritable

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