Compare/Contrast Essay

Listening to Music vs. Playing Music

            Music- something that everybody has listened to before. Music- something only some people play. Even though music is music, there are extreme differences between listening to it and playing it. As an avid musician I have learned that although both forms of music- played and listened to- bring a person joy, they offer different perspectives in which a person can view the ancient art.

            When I was little my brother bought me a Beatles’ album. I listened to it over and over. I was and still am the kind of person to listen to the same song over and over until I have it memorized.  I love listening to music; it’s something that you can do anytime. When driving to school one can listen to the radio, and in the grocery store music is usually playing, and when you’re watching TV there is usually background music; most of the time you don’t even realize that you are listening to it. This is proof that you don’t have to think very much when listening to music. Some people listen to music while they are trying to fall asleep. Music is a great way to relax and just sit back and enjoy the artist’s hard work.

            I started playing piano when I was four years old. I love walking by the piano in my house and just sitting down to play some music. That is how I do a lot of my practicing. When I play music I am on top of my game, with a sharp brain ready to take in new knowledge. It is easiest to learn to play an instrument at a young age because a child’s brain is more willing to take in new ideas. Playing music is a great way that I exercise my brain. Music takes a lot of practice, and it isn’t as easy as it sounds. After learning a really hard piece of music, I have a sense of completion and accomplishment. Not everyone has the patience to learn a new instrument, so if you can play music you have something that not everyone has.

            Playing and listening to music go hand in hand. And while playing music may relax a person, it is almost impossible to relax while playing it. You have to be on top of your game to play music. You can listen to music anytime anywhere, but to play music you must have an instrument with you. When listening to music you don’t have to think very much, and while playing music you better hope you are thinking if you want to sound good. While playing music gives you that sense of completion and exercises your brain, sometimes you just want to sit back and relax to listen to an artists work.

            Even though listening to music and playing music are very different, they both bring something different to the table. Sometimes one is better than the other, depending on the situation. The ancient art of music has been around for thousands of years for people to enjoy. Music- noise that can be created or listened to.