States of Listening

Design by Studio Wouter van Tilborg

Listening is a powerful and transformative act that connects us to one another. It has the capacity to reveal truths about our world and society. Listening can alter how we feel, who we are, and what we believe. There are many different modes of listening: internal and external; solitary and communal; auditory and visual; musical and environmental. Our listening can be active or passive; it can be casual or deep. We listen to sounds as carriers of meaning, representations of their sources, or as isolated sonic objects. Listening is shaped by our bodies, culture, environment, habits, and technology. We listen to understand and empathize, to be transformed and transported. We listen out of curiosity, compassion, pleasure, and survival. We listen to receive and be received. We listen to exist.

States of Listening, a podcast from Longleash, explores listening as a practice, its connections to music and mindfulness, and our responsiveness to our environment, community, and one another. Our pilot season features conversations with performers, music creators, and sound practitioners, guiding audiences through new listening experiences as they reconnect with the sonic world and contemplate empathy, impermanence, receptivity, and healing. States of Listening is made possible through the generous support of Music Academy of the West’s Alumni Enterprise Award and Longleash’s family of donors. Check out our pilot episode and stay tuned for the complete first season coming in spring of 2022.