5 music recommendations for my friends

here's a full version of the piece

Lock your front door, kick your roommate out, switch off the lights, light a candle, get comfortable, and grab your headphones/speakers- it is time to listen to music! This post may be especially interesting to you if you are not a musician, or if you didn’t go to music school.

Do not rush through this list. I recommend listening to only one piece at a time. The list is ordered with no. 5 being the easiest, most accessible thing to listen to, while no. 1 is the most challenging. The guiding prompts may help you to listen to the music more intentionally. Try to focus on just one aspect of the music at a time!

Some suggestions- remove all distractions. Put your phone away, ask not to be disturbed, and try to be mindful throughout all of this. Try your best to savor the experience, even if you don’t enjoy the music!

5. Lee Morgan – Ceora

There is a predictable structure to this piece. Which instrumentalist is leading the music across the song? It will help to pay closer attention to them.
Can you spot the main melody? (hint: it’s the part where you hear two wind instruments playing together)
How would you describe the accompanying pianist? Playful? Adventurous? Joyful? Talkative?
Throughout the song, try to focus on one of the background instruments – pay close attention to the drums, or the bass, or the piano…

Liked this? Listen to Claudio Roditi's The Monster and the Flower.

4. Heather Stebbins – Among Arrows II.

What is that smack noise?
Pay close attention to the pulse of the music… does it change?
There are many repetitions of the same idea. What makes each variation different?
How does silence play a role in this piece? Are they too long or too short for your taste?

Liked this? Listen to Ruth Crawford Seeger's String Quartet (1931).

3. Autechre – Fold4, Wrap5.

What is the main “point” of this music? Do you hear a main melody? Is it about the textures in the background? Or is it about the “speed”, or the tempo, of the music?
Is the music slowing down? Or speeding up?
Do you think there are precise mathematical operations behind this change in tempo?
How do you think music technology can help aid artists in making music that goes beyond what humans can make naturally?

Liked this? Listen to Stretta's Calculus.

2. Keith Jarrett Trio – If I Were A Bell

So much going on! Based on how active each player is, who do you think is “leading”? Are they all just playing together? Is this a ‘democratic’ ensemble?
Look at the body language of the three players. Do all of them have a unique personality? Can you also hear a personality in their playing? Does the pianist sound unhinged? Is the bass player disciplined? Is the drummer composed?
Why would these humans spend hours of their lives reaching this level of musical ability? Why would so many people want to watch them perform?
Do you think having fewer performers increases expressive freedom? How do you find the balance between order and freedom in a musical setting?

Liked this? Listen to Bill Evans Trio playing Nardis.

1. Morton Feldman- Coptic Light

This composer was inspired by repeating patterns in Middle Eastern textiles. What do you think of using non-musical ideas as inspiration for music-making?
Is there a pulse to this music? Is it obvious?
Try to pick out one instrument group. How many groups can you hear? Do you hear repeating ideas within each group?
This piece is very long, somewhat monotonous, yet constantly evolving. To me it is like “sunbathing” (not that I sunbathe). Can you think other similar activities in real life which could serve as representation for this piece?

Liked this? Listen to Bryn Harrison's Repetitions in Extended Time.