2.4.4. Discussion of the experimental listening project
Can the experimental listening project be considered an adequate phenomenological investigation?
Guidelines for applying phenomenology stated in the beginning of this chapter were the following:
- Suspend the natural attitude.
- Adopt the phenomenological attitude.
- Perform phenomenological variations.
- Aim at intersubjective corroboration.
- Explore time-consciousness.
- Include the lifeworld as the prerequisite for phenomenological investigation.
- Regard the body as the origin and enduring basis for phenomenological investigation.
- Suspend the natural attitude
With regards to suspending the natural attitude, the participants had not planned to include a discus-
sion of their personal biases in the procedure. However, the introductory open listenings gave rise to
considerations of the participants’ attitude towards the music. Concerning Bartok and Webern, both
participants shared the bias that these pieces represented art music of established value. EC had
selected the aesthetically most convincing performances.
On the other hand, the open listenings of Coleman Hawkins’ saxophone solo revealed marked
differences in personal bias. EC listened according to a preconceived belief that the music was an
expressive love song. LCB experienced the music as outdated and slightly ridiculous. A discussion
of hermeneutical interpretation was postponed, because these viewpoints were so far apart. Subse-
quently, as a side effect of many music-focused listenings, the participants gradually came to terms
with each others’ interpretations (Listenings no. 3, 14, 21, 23). - Adopt the phenomenological attitude
The phenomenological attitude implies investigation of a) phenomena as they appear to conscious-
ness, b) the way they appear to consciousness, and c) the conditions for appearance in conscious-
ness.
It was the participants’ primary intention to meet the first requirement, describing the music as
it appeared to consciousness. They agreed with Clifton’s approach that listening could be a concern,
a project, or a problem (this chapter p. 11). In particular, listening to the fragmented structure of the
Webern piece represented a problem to be solved.
The second requirement, investigating the nature of the experience, was met by virtue of dis-
coveries during the sequence of listenings. In these cases, the participants experienced new modes
of listening (Bartok no. 14, 20, 22, 23, Webern no. 21, 22, 24, 26, marked with in the session re-
ports). Such changes in perception may be akin to the changes in perception of multi-stable visual
phenomena described by Ihde (this chapter pp. 44-45).
In a few cases, these experiences led to tentative reflections on the conditions for appearance
in consciousness (Bartok no. 18, 23, marked with ** in the reports). The fact that new modes of
listening occurred late in a session suggests that the change of mode may be a cumulative effect
due to interaction between memory and perception. - Perform phenomenological variations
The application of phenomenological variations was continuously implemented in the sessions. - Aim at intersubjective corroboration
Complete agreement was not necessary for intersubjective corroboration. The emergence of a multi-
tude of different hermeneutical interpretations was an interesting outcome of the sessions. Moreover,