Something I read recently is pounding in my ears. A study concluded that a substantial percentage of people will wait only two seconds for something to download before clicking it off and moving on.
How long is two seconds? Two seconds isn’t long enough to take a good sip of hot tea. You can barely say hello in two seconds.
Yet that’s how long our cyber-concentration is becoming: two seconds or less. Have you noticed it in your own life?
I have, especially at the barn. Every day I run hoses to fill up water for the animals. Endless numbers of two-second intervals pass even at full blast. I knew I was in trouble when I began to question how much cyber-work would fit into the time it takes to fill up a bucket, much less the 100-gallon troughs.
What does this have to do with music? More than you might think.
Music takes time. We all claim to love music, and yet we rarely sit and listen to music without multi-tasking. Live concerts are a lot of trouble too, because music takes time to perform, plus the time necessary for transit. Think of how much email we could answer during just the drive home.
Is it worth it, listening to music? Is it worth it to transport ourselves to the world of sound? To travel along spiritual and emotional paths unavailable in daily life?
We think so here at Professor Carol. And for parents, we’re certain that your children lose out if they don’t have this experience. We know they can sit wide-eyed for hours in front of videos. But are you teaching them how to sit “wide-eared” in front of music?
Are you showing them that the masterworks (and master ideas) of Western culture taketime to absorb? A dance or play happens only in time. Witnessing a play is quite different, developmentally, from watching movies. Similarly, viewing art takes time if we wish to be captivated by it.
And music? Even more true. Without the visual stimulation of dance, plays, and art, we must unleash more of our receptivity. Open the gates of our souls wider. Think more analytically even as we enjoy or are moved by music.
Ask your kids (and yourself) what it means to listen to music. Ask them how long it “takes”? And what skills it requires. The answers may surprise you.