[DANCE MUSIC PLAYING] [ROCK MUSIC PLAYING] >> ♪ RUN AWAY HEY, RUN AWAY ♪ [CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING] GEORGE: DO YOU HEAR THE MUSIC?

OR DID YOU EVEN NOTICE IT?

[ALARM BEEPS] [CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING] ANNOUNCER: FUNDING FOR THIS SERIES HAS BEEN MADE POSSIBLE IN PART, BY: GEORGE: THIS ENTIRE SERIES IS DEVOTED TO LISTENING TO MUSIC, AND WE KNOW THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LISTENING TO MUSIC AND JUST HEARING IT AS A BACKGROUND TO OTHER THOUGHTS AND ACTIVITIES, BUT LET'S SEE WHAT SOME AVERAGE PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS.

WHEN DO YOU USE MUSIC IN THE BACKGROUND?

MAN: I'M COOKING, I'M RIDING MY BIKE, I'M WORKING.

SECOND MAN: USUALLY, WHEN I HAVE MUSIC PLAYING IN MY LIFE, I'M LISTENING.

I--I DON'T REALLY CARE FOR BACKGROUND MUSIC.

WOMAN: MAYBE AT THE DENTIST'S OFFICE.

MAN: WRITING OR READING OR SLEEPING.

WOMAN: COOKING, STUFF AROUND THE HOUSE.

MAN: EXERCISING.

WOMAN: PAYING BILLS.

HA HA HA!

GEORGE: THINK ABOUT THIS FOR A MOMENT.

MAYBE IT'S NOT ALWAYS APPROPRIATE TO GIVE MUSIC YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION.

HOW ABOUT, HOPEFULLY, WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING?

[MUSIC PLAYING] DEFINITELY NOT A GOOD TIME TO GIVE MUSIC YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION.

WE'VE HEARD ABOUT SURGEONS WHO CRANK THEIR TUNES IN THE OPERATING ROOM.

["FLIGHT OF THE VALKYRIES" PLAYING] WHOA!

THAT--THAT'S KIND OF SCARY.

IF YOU'RE A STUDENT, HOW ABOUT PLAYING MUSIC WHILE YOU DO YOUR HOMEWORK?

IS THAT SOMETHING YOU DO?

OR IF YOU WORK IN AN OFFICE OR RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT, IS THERE BACKGROUND MUSIC CONSTANTLY PLAYING IN YOUR PLACE OF BUSINESS EVERY DAY?

TAKE A MOMENT TO THINK ABOUT ALL THE SITUATIONS WHERE IT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE TO ONLY HEAR MUSIC, NOT TO GIVE IT YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION, BUT RATHER JUST TREAT IT AS A BACKGROUND.

LET'S MAKE A LIST: EATING AT HOME; DINING IN RESTAURANTS; DRIVING; WATCHING TV SHOWS AND MOVIES; WORKING; READING; WAITING IN WAITING ROOMS; ON HOLD ON THE PHONE; EXERCISING; SHOPPING; CONVERSING; GATHERING AT PARTIES.

WE COULD GO ON AND ON, AND YOU'VE PROBABLY COME UP WITH SOME THAT WE MISSED.

WOW!

WE'RE EXPOSED TO A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ELECTRONICALLY REPRODUCED MUSIC, AREN'T WE?

AND THAT MIGHT SEEM LIKE GOOD NEWS TO THOSE OF US WHO ARE MUSIC LOVERS, A WORLD JUST CHOCK-FULL OF MUSIC.

HOW WONDERFUL!

BUT HERE'S THE PROBLEM: A HUGE PERCENTAGE OF THAT MUSIC IS HEARD ONLY IN THE BACKGROUND AS SONIC WALLPAPER, AND AS A RESULT... [ECHOING] WE'VE BEEN BRAINWASHED.

DO YOU SEE HOW WE'VE BEEN TRAINED?

THE PRESENCE OF ELECTRONICALLY REPRODUCED MUSIC EVERYWHERE IN OUR WORLD HAS ACTUALLY CONDITIONED US TO IGNORE MUSIC WHILE WE DO OR THINK ABOUT OTHER THINGS.

IN OTHER WORDS, OUR PRESENT DAY TECHNOLOGY HAS TAUGHT US NOT TO LISTEN CAREFULLY TO MUSIC.

WE'VE GOT THE DECK STACKED AGAINST US.

SO WHEN WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE TO GIVE MUSIC OUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION?

WELL, MAYBE YOU'VE GOT A NICE LITTLE SETUP AT HOME, WHERE YOU CAN SIT DOWN IN YOUR EASY CHAIR AND FILL THE ROOM WITH MUSIC.

PERFECT.

OR MAYBE YOU'VE SET ASIDE SOME OUTDOOR LEISURE TIME, WITH A GREAT SET OF HEADPHONES OR EARBUDS AND A COUPLE OF HAND-PICKED SELECTIONS YOU CAN REALLY CONCENTRATE ON.

SOUNDS GREAT!

DID YOU SAY, "AT A CONCERT?"

OF COURSE!

THAT SEEMS LIKE A NATURAL PLACE TO REALLY LISTEN.

AFTER ALL, WE'VE PURCHASED OUR TICKETS, AND WE WANT TO GET OUR MONEY'S WORTH, BUT JUST BECAUSE YOU'VE TRAVELED TO THE CONCERT HALL DOESN'T GUARANTEE THAT YOU'LL REALLY BE LISTENING, DOES IT?

EVEN WHEN YOU'RE HYPER-FOCUSED, THERE CAN BE SO MANY INTERRUPTIONS AND DISTRACTIONS.

[MUSIC PLAYING] [PAGES RUSTLING] [BAG CRUMPLING, FOOD CRUNCHING] [KEYBOARD CLICKING] [COUGHING] WOW!

I ALWAYS WONDERED IF THAT COULD HAPPEN.

ALL THESE BEYOND-OUR-CONTROL, EXTERNAL DISTRACTIONS CAN DEFINITELY BREAK OUR CONCENTRATION, AND YET THERE'S AN EVEN BIGGER CULPRIT: THE ENEMY WITHIN.

[ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYING] GEORGE, VOICE-OVER: AHH, I FORGOT TO GET THE CAULIFLOWER AT THE SUPERMARKET.

[FINGER SNAP] OUR THOUGHTS CAN PREVENT US FROM GIVING THE MUSIC OUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION.

I LIKE TO CALL IT "THE INTERNAL MONOLOGUE."

WE THINK THOUSANDS OF THOUGHTS TO OURSELVES EVERY DAY.

WE DON'T SPEAK MOST OF THEM OUT LOUD, BUT, DEPENDING ON THE EMOTIONAL CONTENT OF THIS INTERNAL CONVERSATION, THE INTERNAL VOLUME LEVEL CAN BE QUITE HIGH.

[ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYING] GEORGE, VOICE-OVER: I CAN'T BELIEVE HE SAID THAT TO ME.

IT'S--IT'S JUST INCREDIBLE TO THINK HE WOULD HAVE DONE SUCH A THING.

WHAT NERVE!

AND TO THINK WE'VE BEEN FRIENDS FOR SO LONG.

WELL, THE NEXT TIME I SEE HIM, HE'S GOING TO GET A PIECE OF MY MIND.

INTERNAL CONVERSATIONS LIKE THAT CAN GO ON IN OUR HEADS FOR QUITE A WHILE, AND THIS CAN WORK IN TWO DIRECTIONS.

IF WE'D HAD A DISAGREEMENT WITH SOMEONE BEFORE WE CAME TO THE CONCERT, THE DISCUSSION MIGHT STILL BE ECHOING AFTER WE TAKE OUR SEAT IN THE AUDIENCE, AND IF WE ANTICIPATE HAVING ONE OF THESE EMOTIONALLY CHARGED ENCOUNTERS SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE AFTER THE CONCERT, EVEN THE NEXT DAY, WE MIGHT START REHEARSING OUR OPPONENTS' ANTICIPATED LINES AND OUR RESPONSES WHILE WE'RE SITTING AT THE CONCERT.

THE INTERNAL MONOLOGUE JUST MAY BE THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE TO REALLY LISTENING.

IF WE TAKE ONE OF THOSE MONOLOGUES TO THE CONCERT HALL, WE MIGHT JUST MISS AN ENTIRE MOVEMENT OF A BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY!

[ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC STOPS] [APPLAUSE] BUT REMEMBER, IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT THAT THIS SORT OF THING HAPPENS.

YOU'VE BEEN SUBCONSCIOUSLY TRAINED TO IGNORE MUSIC, TO TAKE IT FOR GRANTED.

IT'S JUST THERE ALL THE TIME, EVERY DAY, EVERY NIGHT, WHEREVER WE GO.

LET'S DO AN EXPERIMENT.

WE'LL PLAY A LITTLE BIT OF THE THEME MUSIC FOR THIS SERIES, AND WHILE WE DO, WE'D LIKE YOU TO READ, TALK, TEXT, EAT, WHATEVER YOU MIGHT DECIDE TO DO, BUT DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES GIVE THIS MUSIC YOUR COMPLETE ATTENTION.

[MUSIC PLAYING] DID I MENTION THERE WOULD BE A QUIZ?

WHICH INSTRUMENTS PLAYED THE MAIN THEME THE FIRST TIME?

[BUZZER] WHICH WERE THE NEXT INSTRUMENTS TO PLAY THE MAIN THEME OR EVEN A FRAGMENT OF THE MAIN THEME?

THIS TIME, REALLY LISTEN TO THE MUSIC, AND LET'S SEE HOW YOU DO.

[MUSIC PLAYING] SO WE CAN READILY SEE THAT THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONLY HEARING MUSIC AS A BACKGROUND AND REALLY LISTENING, THAT IS, GIVING IT OUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION.

TO HELP ILLUSTRATE THIS EVEN FURTHER, WE'RE GOING TO PLAY MORE THAN A MINUTE OF MUSIC AGAIN, WHICH, IF IT'S UNFAMILIAR, IS THE OPENING OF THE SYMPHONY NO.

4 BY FELIX MENDELSSOHN.

THIS TIME, REALLY LISTEN.

[SYMPHONY NO.

4 PLAYING] DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU NOTICED MORE DETAIL?

I'M SURE YOU DID.

THE TRUTH IS OUR MUSICAL AWARENESS LEVEL IS ADJUSTABLE.

IT WORKS ALMOST LIKE A THERMOSTAT.

WE CAN DIAL OUR AUDITORY AWARENESS LEVEL UP AND DOWN AT WILL, FROM THE BOTTOM END, WHERE WE NOTICE ALMOST NOTHING, ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP END, WHERE WE NOTICE ALMOST EVERY MUSICAL DETAIL, THE RESULT OF MAKING A COMMITTED DECISION TO BE FULLY PRESENT WITH THE MUSIC.

TO ILLUSTRATE THIS, WE'RE GOING TO PLAY THE MENDELSSOHN ONE MORE TIME, AND THIS TIME, WE'LL PUT A KIND OF ROAD MAP ON SCREEN TO GUIDE YOUR LISTENING TO VARIOUS DETAILS ALONG THE WAY.

[SYMPHONY NO.

4 PLAYING] SO HOW DID YOUR EXPERIMENT IN GUIDED LISTENING GO?

WE'D LIKE TO RETURN TO THE MUSIC FROM OUR FIRST EPISODE, THE "MUSIC FOR STRINGS, PERCUSSION AND CELESTA" BY BELA BARTOK.

HERE'S WHAT WE'D LIKE YOU TO DO, SOMETHING WE DIDN'T ASK YOU TO DO BEFORE: AS THE MUSIC PLAYS, JOT DOWN OR MAKE MENTAL NOTE OF EVERY INSTRUMENT YOU DETECT IN THE MUSIC.

READY?

["MUSIC FOR STRINGS" PLAYING] DID YOU NOTICE VIOLINS, PIANO, XYLOPHONE?

HOW ABOUT THE TIMPANI?

JUST TO CHECK YOUR PERCEPTIONS, LISTEN AGAIN, AND WE'LL REINFORCE BY LISTING EVERY INSTRUMENT THAT PLAYS IN THIS LITTLE MORE THAN 3 1/2 MINUTES OF MUSIC.

["MUSIC FOR STRINGS" PLAYING] SEE WHAT A DIFFERENCE THAT MAKES?

DO YOU EVER GIVE MUSIC YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION?

MAN: I DO, UH, FAIRLY OFTEN LISTEN TO MUSIC ACTIVELY.

WOMAN: SOMETIMES I DO, UH, NOT AS MUCH AS I SHOULD, THOUGH.

MAN: I'LL FOCUS-UP IF I'M GOING TO A CONCERT.

WOMAN: SOMETIMES I SIT DOWN WHEN THERE'S NO ONE IN THE HOUSE, THE CHILDREN ARE IN SCHOOL, THE HUSBAND IS AT WORK, AND I GIVE MY UN--UNDIVIDED ATTENTION TO MUSIC.

GEORGE: LISTENING IS SOMETHING WE MUST CONSCIOUSLY CHOOSE TO DO, NOT THAT IT'S BAD TO EXPERIENCE MUSIC IN THE BACKGROUND.

PEOPLE HAVE BEEN USING MUSIC AS A BACKGROUND FOR ALL SORTS OF SOCIAL OCCASIONS FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, AND WE CERTAINLY WOULDN'T WANT TO GIVE THAT UP NOW, AND AT THE DISCOVERY ORCHESTRA, WE'RE NOT ASKING YOU TO GIVE UP BACKGROUND MUSIC.

WHAT WE ARE SUGGESTING IS THAT YOU BECOME ATTENTIVE TO WHEN YOU'RE REALLY LISTENING AND WHEN YOU'RE JUST HEARING MUSIC.

DEVELOP AN AWARENESS AROUND THIS DIFFERENCE, AND THEN CHOOSE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC ON PURPOSE ONCE IN A WHILE AND SEE IF YOU THINK IT'S WORTH IT.

I'M GEORGE MARRINER MAULL FOR THE DISCOVERY ORCHESTRA REMINDING YOU TO LISTEN...BETTER.

-Funding for this series has been made possible in part by... ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ -The complete 8-part series of "Fall in Love with Music" is available on DVD for $12.95 plus shipping and handling.

To order, call 973-379-2200 or order online at www.DiscoveryOrchestra.org.

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