Gratitude the second, Hearing

When it comes to music, I’m so grateful for my hearing.

My healthy ears help me hear the sounds and textures of orchestras and wind symphonies; the ability to identify individual instruments in big bands, and chamber groups; and hear the major, minor and diminished ‘flavors’ of music.

The trumpet sounds different than the oboe; the piccolo different than the French horn; the soprano saxophone different than the trombone; all thanks to the concept of tone color and the overtone series.

Tone color, sometimes referred to as timbre, is that quality of sound that is NOT pitch, rhythm or volume. It’s what we discern when listening to a flute and a trumpet play the same pitch and we’re able to hear and identify both instruments.

Our hearing feels like a miracle to me sometimes. Combined with the processes of our mighty brains, we can hear sounds and distinguish them as words. We can understand if our Native language is being spoken. We hear pitch when listening to speaking voices as well as singing voices. All this and more is being processed by our hearing and brain.

Today, I give thanks for my hearing.