Maybe it’s generational and I’m too much of an old fart to understand why so many people, especially the young, are so enthralled with their IPod gizmos. Sure it’s cute that you can carry around thousands of “songs” in your pocket. But when you are forever consuming music and rarely or never (re-)producing it yourself, you are missing out on an important aspect of the enjoyment and the brain-nourishing exercise that music provides: replaying it in your mind.
That’s right folks. Listen to your music at home, or in whatever setting; then put down the ipod and get out on the street and start walking, and replay the music in your mind. Feel free to hum, whistle or sing softly along with the music. How does it sound? You may find yourself noticing some nuance of melody, or lyric, or structure, that you had not noticed before — and might never have, were it not for this exercise.