Listening: Part 1 - Live Music

(I have been thinking a lot lately about the whole concept of listening. I will be writing 3 posts on different aspects of listening in the next few weeks.)

Part 1. Live Music

Part 2. Content vs. context

Part 3. Feedback from clients

LIVE MUSIC

Sunday night I went to see live music at GlobalFest.

There were 12 different artists performing and they were amazing. I instantly remembered why I love hearing live music.

First of all, it is so much fun. You have an opportunity to connect with the artist and see them in action. There is so much energy in the room. Music is incredibly transcending. And one cannot help to marvel at how music brings people together. There is something primal about our reaction and interaction with music.

I was enjoying the whole experience and started thinking about how these artists do something they love and put themselves out there. They have a captive audience listening to their music.

But it was clear to me that the artists were listening to the audience. The reactions were feeding them, encouraging them to keep on playing, creating and interacting with the audience. They tempo and beats were pumping as the crowd was dancing and jumping. Everyone was having fun.

On the way home I was thinking about how listening is incredibly interactive (or should be?!?). In our businesses, we are each trying to reach a targeted and captive audience that will listen to our message. We want them to hear us.

But we also need to remember to listen to our clients, our ‘could be’ or ‘would be’ clients. What do we really hear from our existing clients? Do we really listen to those that do not become our clients? Even if the message is painful, do we get the message?

An exercise that I am going to work on is to make sure that I am listening and hearing, really paying attention to the message.

And of course, continue to see live music!

Check out the band - Meta and the Cornerstones and the interview on NPR where I discovered GlobalFest.

posted by Amy Abrams