Signal wrote:

I have a dilemma with 'listener training'.

Yeah Dormer, it might snap you out of your permanent
drug-induced haze.

As long term musicians
know, a well trodden path is hard to deviate from.

As they say, variety is the spice of life.

You lose the ability to listen holistically, and are more
prone to reverting to
analytical listening patterns conducive to those musical
activities.

Anybody who tries to figure out what you mean by "those
musical activities" (Hint, you never really defined them.)
will realize that you're talking in circles, Dormer.

You actually start to perceive sound and music in a
different way than
"normal".

Quick Dormer, what is *normal*?

I've known full time musicians who are unable to even
listen
to music in a casual sense, anymore.

All of them some of them or just a few of them? Is it
because they are musicians or is it because of some other
personality trait?

Now consider Arnie's listener training program. It helps
instil
"paths" in peoples conscious awareness.

Or, it simply expands their awareness into paths they have
never trod on before.

What was I saying about variety?

That is exactly the point of it.

In your distorted view Dormer, that is.

Whist this surely helps people to hone in on the
particular
differences he's highlighting, once you are walking those
"paths" it
becomes increasingly difficult to listen naturally and
holistically
again...

So you assert, Dormer. But, who appointed you the guardian
of normalicy?

Arnie's screams of anguish at the HE2005 debate clearly
signifies
agreement with this point![Listener training is..] "a two
edged
sword", he says.

Right. If you raise peoples consciousness and tastes to
higher levels, they may become less pleased with that old
vin ordinaire that they've been figuratively swilling. If I
tell you that some MP3s have artifacts I've raised your
curiosity, but if I teach you how to hear those artifacts,
I've honed your senses.

So, assuming the above is taken as read

Given the source, now that would be a stupid thing to do.


the more important question
is... if you 'program' your brain in this fashion, could
it be that it
has a detrimental and/or *subversive* effect on your
overall listening
skills and/or patterns of listening behaviour?

So how you going to keep them down on the farm after they've
seen Gay Paree?

I've got an idea. Let's warn people away from listening to
the better-sounding audio gear because it may cause them to
become dissatisfied with listening to junk. That makes about
as much sense Dormer, as your warning them away from junk
listening tests.