"Creation seems to come out of imperfection. It seems to come out of a striving and a frustration. And this is where I think language came from."

Reservoir of Beauty inside You

"What I find very strange is this. That I think what's magnificent about Bach is that when you listen to this music, and it moves you so much, I mean, it's just a bunch of sound waves crashing into your ear, and you have to contain — you see this emotion bubbling up, you start seeing, like, tearing up, and saying, well, what's going on? These are just sounds crashing into my — what's going on in here?"

~ Bernard Chazelle

Hear Out, Feel InDaron LarsonNovember 16, 2014On Being, Bernard Chazelle, music, Bach, beauty, truth, feeling, emotion, narrative, soundsComment

Walk to Strengthen Attention

It seems like stepping outside for a walk should be enough to clear our minds, but when we head outdoors, our attention tends to stay anchored in our heads. What we need is a practical focus strategy and more realistic expectations about how our minds respond to such a challenge.

Catch Yourself Absorbed

When you catch yourself absorbed by some immediate aspect of your environment, try to yield to the observation fully for a few seconds.

Serene Isolation

"The serene isolation that can be felt in a crowded and often chaotic world." ~ Genevieve

See Out, Hear Out, Feel Out, Feel In, Clarity, EquanimityDaron LarsonSeptember 22, 2014musicians, music video, Company of Thieves, loneliness, solitude, peace, equanimity, Genevieve SchatzComment

Before and After

Try pausing right before
and right after
undertaking a new action

~ Brother David Steindl-Rast

Practice in Life, See Out, Hear Out, Feel OutDaron LarsonJuly 12, 2013paying attention, David Steindl-Rast, mundane, present, pauseComment

Attentional Fitness Training for Musicians

Athletes and musicians -- and anyone else who has committed effort over time toward the development of a specific skill -- tend to have some advantages when it comes to these strategies. But what if there were exercises and drills to add to the mix that could systematically support the development of concentration, clarity, and equanimity in the context of rehearsal and performance?

Hear In, Hear OutDaron LarsonSeptember 27, 2012music, musicians, practice, performance, mindfulnessComment

Silence Lets Your Mind Just Be Free to Run Around

"I think that the reason they want to have music in a funeral home is that the silence lets our mind just be free to run around with whatever thoughts that we have. And if somebody's in a funeral home, they're very likely to be having sad thoughts."

~ David Young

Hear Out, Hear In, Feel In, Practice in LifeDaron LarsonSeptember 23, 2012grief, sadness, feelings, emotions, discomfort, mind, silence, thoughtsComment

Inside and Outside

"Take a few minutes now to just listen to and become aware of your surroundings."

~ Adyashanti

Hear Out, Hear In, Feel Out, Feel In, Notice Rest, Practice in LifeDaron LarsonAugust 8, 2012Adyashanti, paying attention, pause, sensesComment

Soothed by the Bell

Why is the sound of a mindfulness bell such a great warm up for any attentional fitness workout?

Concentration, Clarity, Hear Out, Notice Flow, Notice Rest, GoneDaron LarsonJanuary 28, 2012hearing, relaxation, sounds, listening, mindfulnessComment

The Only Way to Save His Sanity

Hear Out, Feel InDaron LarsonSeptember 5, 2011equanimity, feeling, film, hearing, resistance, sounds, Brit MarlingComment

Listen to Music, Hear Your Thoughts

By default, most of us have developed a stunning and sophisticated repertoire for blocking out the world around us. We allocate the bulk of our attention inwardly toward the stories playing out in our minds.

Feeling Emotion Conveyed by a Performer

“The brain processes musical nuance in many ways, it turns out. Edward W. Large, a music scientist at Florida Atlantic University, scanned the brains of people with and without experience playing music as they listened to two versions of a Chopin étude: one recorded by a pianist, the other stripped down to a literal version of what Chopin wrote, without human-induced variations in timing and dynamics.”