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HELP Turning off the Left Brain

Its been over 25 years since I bought my first stereo. All my friends wanted wheels, I just wanted to play my records on something other than my parents stereo console. After spending over 25 years training my ears to distinguish between the tiniest differences in and between components, cables, room acoustics et al (and yes I believe for the most part it is a learned skill), I now find it very difficult to sit down and just ENJOY THE MUSIC without always critiquing the presentation. As a matter of fact, a lot of the music that I originally enjoyed when I was among the great unwashed masses, I can't stand listening to anymore. I always thought that at some point the equipment would allow the music to transcend the medium, but regardless of the quality of the presentation, the left brain always whips out the notebook.

Has anyone found a way to stop the madness?
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johnrob
76 posts
 
I'm serious with this suggestion ... Take up mindfulness meditation. An excellent book by Jon Kabat-Zinn (Full Catastrophe Living) will take you through exercises that dampen the left side of the brain. This type of meditation is excellent for overly analytical people (like myself). I've had excellent response from my clients who have studied AND PRACTISED mindfulness meditation. (I'm a psychotherapist) You need to give yourself several months of practice to get the hang of this way of perceiving the world.

John
goinbroke
105 posts
 
Stage left, Stehno.
timf
237 posts
 
I agree with newbee. You sound like you are bored. You might consider shifting gears. Try some new music- Different music. Borrow from your friends, the library, or even your computer or the radio. Also consider that if you just havent been feeling much for the music you have of late it could be you have something to do or something to let go of. Maybe what you are being critical of in this instance is the result of misdirected energy. er, Sort of like that doubling up energy at certain frequencies, you know? Well, Okay. Maybe not this last bit...
photon46
1,076 posts
 
Musicfirst, Johnrob offers good advice. Mindfulness meditation is capable, with diligent practice, of helping you turn of your incessant left brain chatter. It's the hardest thing I have done, but it pays great dividends. The other thing you might try, which definitely worked for me, was to learn to play an instrument. Three years ago, I started playing guitar and it transformed the way I experience music. Initially, I only started because I wanted to be a better listener, but as I improved, many other good things happened. Entire new worlds of music appreciation opened up and I quit obsessing over every sonic nit and fault. I still really enjoy good gear, but the music is definitely first.
lousyreeds1
286 posts
 
Nebee's right on here, you may be bored with your music collection. Do you have a tuner? Listening to the radio can be a great way to experience new music. What kinds of music do you listen to? Maybe we could all give you some recs for favorite pieces that have allowed us to rediscover our love of music!
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