Aaron Copland "How We Listen"

Abstract:
Composer Aaron
Copland takes an in-depth look at how we listen to music. Using his
extensive musical background, Copland breaks down music into three
distinct planes of listening. This division is used to help the
reader understand how different people approach music and how all
three planes can and should be used when listening.
Key Concepts:
As stated above
this, article is laid out in three sections, one focusing on each
plane of music. The sensuous plane is listening to music for “the
sheer pleasure of the musical sound itself.” When listening in the
sensuous plane, one is not concerned with any of the more in-depth
elements of music. Artistic expression, lyrical meaning, chord
composition, tempo, emotional response, and so on are all neglected
in the sensual plane. Copland gives the example of turning on the
radio as you do something else or work around the house as listening
in the sensuous plane. His discussion of the sensuous plane is also
rather brief relative to the other two and he explains that this is
because “its appeal to every normal human being is self-evident.”
The expressive plane
focuses on the, for lack of a better word, expressive power of music.
Copland acknowledges that this can be a controversial topic among
musicians, as some feel as though their music as nothing more than
notes on a page. However, he argues strongly in favor of the
expressive power of music: “what the piece is saying, what the
piece is about.” He goes on to discuss the degree to which the
listener should search for a meaning of a piece. And in doing so,
warns that, in his opinion, no more than a “general concept”
should be sought after. He explains music can express an endless
array of emotions, state of meaning, or even a feeling or meaning
that “there exists no adequate word” to describe. This leads into
his opinion of the nearly contradictory statement regarding the
expressive meaning of music. He says “music does have an expressive
meaning, but that we cannot say in so many words what the meaning
is.”
Finally the sheerly
musical plane is exactly as stated, the pragmatic, scientific
discussion of music. This plane is the notes on the paper and the way
in which they are strung together to create music. Coplands
discussion of this plane is not as in depth as that of the previous,
but he does point out and warn against becoming too focused on the
notes and melodies that one misses out on the previous two planes. 
From here Copland
reiterates that he divided music listening into three planes with the
hope of lending greater clarity to the reader. He ends the article
with the analogy of going to the theater. He describes elements of a
scene in a theater in each of the three planes he used to discuss
music. Again, this is done with the hope of creating a clearer
argument for the reader. 
His take away, is
the hope that readers will become a more active listener. Utilizing
the concept of his three planes, the user can become a “more
conscious and aware listener – not someone who is just listening,
but someone who is listening for something.”
Other Sources:
Aaron Copland: What
to Listen for in Music – In this book Copland dives even deeper
into how we listen to music and asks if we're hearing everything
that's going on. 
Robert Greenberg:
How to Listen to Great Music: A Guide to Its History, Culture, and
Heart – On a similar topic to Copland, Greenberg takes on a more
instructive approach to truly teach the reader how to listen to
music. 
Stephen Davies:
Musical Meaning and Expression – As the author himself states in
the preface “This is a book about the meaning of music.”
Klaus R. Scherer:
Expression of Emotion in Voice and Music – Focusing solely on the
expressive plane, Scherer discusses the unique ability of speech only
humans have and the way in which we use it to convey emotion. 
Kenneth Aigen:
Music-centered Music Therapy – After learning how one “should”
listen to music or analyzing how we listen to music, Kenneth Aigen
provides a different discusson on the power of music as he
investigates music therapy. 
Key Words: 
Sensuous
plane. Expressive Plane. Sheerly Musical Plane.