How You Listen Is a Choice (You're Not Making)
You’re not bad at ambient music. You’re not patient enough for minimalism. You’re not sophisticated enough for contemporary classical. You’re using the wrong attention mode. When you listen to Brian Eno and feel bored, you’re applying the attention pattern that works for Beethoven. When you hear Steve Reich and think it’s repetitive, you’re tracking structure the way you track Stravinsky. When you approach minimalism as if it owes you narrative resolution, you’re right that it disappoints — because minimalism isn’t in the business of delivering what you’re looking for. ...