Hearing is a passive act. We hear things around us all the time - the car screeching on the street, voices in conversation, the TV in the background, children running down the street. When we make music, hearing is useless. We can hear ourselves playing phrase after phrase without processing anything, without any artistic value or commitment, without any understanding.

Listening is an active state. It is an act of exploration, of search and discovery - to find the music that lies deep within the instrument, beyond the notes and score, and the sounds which can remain hidden until the performer brings them to life. Listening stems from a process within us that is way beyond our hands or ears. It demands another level of concentration and self-commitment in order to discover for ourselves that elusive source from which artistic interpretation is born. Making music requires us to listen.