Music Listening, Music Therapy, Phenomenology and Neuroscience

Hermeneutical

Sensory integration and embodiment: Physical impact of sound.

Context-related descriptions: Associations: cultures, landscapes, cartoons, memories.

Narratives and scenes.

Hermeneutical and music-focused

Musical expression based on small variations of tempo, sound quality and volume

2.4.3.2. Second investigation. Webern: Bagatelle for String Quartet op. 9 no. 1 (0’30)

1. Preparation
   EC’s 14 listenings engendered the following questions and tasks:

General questions

1. Listen for contrasts and similarities. 2. What unfolds?

Music-focused

Spatial focus: Listen for foreground and background.

Spatial-temporal focus: Listen for sections and subdivisions.

Listen for single events versus continuity. Listen for gestalts versus fragments.

Sound qualities: Listen for qualities of the single tones.

Hermeneutical

Emotional qualities: Listen for emotional expression.

Sensory integration and embodiment: Hear the music as movement. Hear the music as

voices.

Hear the music as gestures and body movement.

2. Listening strategy
   The short duration of the piece (0’30) permitted many listenings. As the music was unfamiliar and
   had a rather fragmented texture, the session began with four open listenings and continued with her-
   meneutical tasks, in order to establish meaning and coherence.