Short journal · Original editorial · Listening between the notes
A new instrument enters beneath a familiar melody.
Listening can begin with a transition rather than a verdict. Notice an entrance, a pause, a repeated sound, or a change in density. Describe the effect as your response, not as a fact about every listener.
Follow that instrument for one short section.
Do not confuse a tidy description with a useful result. Look at what the next reader or participant can actually do.
Try a question
What would you notice after trying this in one small, real situation?