When are people going to wake up and realize listening is a skill?


Thirty years ago I realized my lifelong dream of owning a 911. This is a fast car and so first thing I did was join PCA to get some track experience in order to be able to drive safely at speed. Of course I already knew how to drive. I was a "good driver" much better than most, etc, etc. 

PCA Driver Ed begins with several hours of classroom study. Track rules, safety, and some car control skills- braking, steering, throttle control. Yeah, yeah, whatever let's go!    

Then at the track they put you in your car with an instructor and you head out onto the track driving so freaking slow, actually normal freeway driving speed but it seems slow because, race track. So we play follow the leader with the instructor pointing out cones. Braking cones, turn-in cone, apex cone, track out cone. Each turn is numbered 1 thru 9, and there's turn worker stations, and they have flags, and you need to be watching and know what they mean, because you screw up and that is it your day is done. One full 20 min session, all the excitement of a tour bus.  

Bear with me. There's a connection here. Trust me. 

It goes on like this all day until finally we are signed off to drive solo but then there is an accident, flat bed, that's it for the day. 

Next time out I am so super confident instead of novice I sign up for Intermediate. Same cars, only the Intermediate drivers are supposed to somehow be better. Whatever.   

So out I go and Holy Crap everyone is passing me! I am driving as fast as I possibly can and being passed by everyone! Not only that, if you have ever driven as fast as you possibly can then you know this means braking as late as you possibly can, cornering as fast as you can, all of it. Which without fear of police is pretty damn fast! So fast I am not at all used to it, and so by the end of 20 min am literally sweating and exhausted!  

But I keep at it. Turns out all that classroom talk is about driving skills that are absolutely essential, not only to know but to be able to do. Threshold braking is braking right at the edge of lockup. Right at the very edge. Those cones are there for reference, to help you delay braking as long as possible. The turn-in cones are where you start turning, apex cone where you are right at the inside edge of the turn, track-out where you come out the other side. Do all this while at the very limit of traction and you are going very fast indeed. Without- and this is the essential part- without really trying to go fast.  

Learn the skills, practice the techniques until you are able to execute smoothly, efficiently, and consistently, and you will be fast. Without ever really trying to go fast.   

The connection here is, everyone thinks they hear just fine. Just like they think they drive just fine. In the classroom they talk about threshold braking, the late apex line, and controlling weight transfer with throttle. Just like here we talk about grain, glare, imaging and sound stage.   

I left one part out. All the track rats, they all start out talking about horsepower, springs and spoilers, thinking these are what makes the car fast. They are, sort of. But really it is the driver. By the time I was an instructor myself it was easy to go out with those same Intermediate drivers and it was like the commute to work it was so easy. My car was the same. Only my skills were greater.  

So when are people gonna wake up and realize listening is just like this? Nobody expects to become a really good golfer, tennis player or rock climber just by going out and doing it. Why are so many stuck talking watts? When are they gonna realize that is just like track rats talking hp?


128x128millercarbon
Since psychology has been brought into this discussion, I would point out how curious is the extent to which the tenor and style of the comments critical of the OP mirror the very things which they criticize. Perhaps because a nerve of insecurity has been struck? Since this is an audio forum, re the point of the post:

Of course listening is a skill! It is like any other endeavor in that respect. As philbarone points out our listening skills can be trained and fine tuned, and there are tools available to do this. The main problem for some is the unwillingness to accept that this “muscle” is not as strong and flexible naturally as it can be; and needs to be in order to be a good listener.
Even Olympic athletes need a coach… 

btw it’s perfect practice makes perfect, the best athletes can practice in the mind. I have shot many perfect tens in free pistol, solely within my mind

but I am humble enough to know I need a coach or Sensei. In the change business the saying is: even the change agent, needs a change agent.The mighty James Taylor has a vocal coach, John Hiatt uses an APP

@barts what a wonderful thing you have going with your son :-)))

the book Getting Better Sound by Jim Smith is an excellent source of ideas. 



+1 @frogman 

@ghdprentice 
I also feel very stable and well adjusted and seem to attract lunacy.  Hard to put my finger on but I must be sending out some kinda vibes or inserting myself in situations/venues that are attractive to lunatics. USMC perhaps? BTW awesome system.

As far as having listening skills I (of course) think mine are good to very good. I say this because I have sung in acapella choirs for quite a few years. I am particularly sensitive to pace, timing and timbre.  That is not to say it transfers to all types of music, but what I am saying is I know what I like and know when it sounds "right".  Yes, I hear the difference in signal cables...but not in power cables or fuses.  

As a last thought, I try very hard to not criticize other posters, I may not have a lot to add to a discussion, but I certainly don't want to detract from it in a personal manner.  Life is too short.

Regards,
barts

 
@jetter

I can’t believe that after haunting this website with about 10,500 posts all in a couple of years you didn’t think it would be the right thing to do to spend $65 bucks to sell your turntable here to pass on a few bucks to support your forum hosts.
Good point. I saw the ad on a different site. Perhaps MC hasn't got around to posting the ad here yet.
"I always thought shrinks were a little "nuts" themselves and perhaps that's what drew them into the field."

+1

"Everyone I have known that went into psychology or psychiatry did so in response to their own problems."

+2

"Since psychology has been brought into this discussion, I would point out how curious is the extent to which the tenor and style of the comments critical of the OP mirror the very things which they criticize."

+3    Projection 101