Listening Diary

A growing map of music I'm listening to, studying and teaching. Each pin marks the place a work was composed, with the composer, year and notes. Use the timeline and period filter to explore music across geography and history. Click on the dots to get details of the work.
Why this is important.

Why keep a listening diary?

Listening is one of the most important parts of learning music, but it is so easy for it to become something we do without really noticing how much we are hearing, discovering and learning. A listening diary is a great way of making that process visible and keeps you exploring new things.

There are lots of ways to keep one. A simple list with basic information is fine, tracking particular composers, performances or works. I like the combination of geography and history. Mapping music makes it possible to see composers and works in their historical context, compare different composers and traditions, and follow the ways musical ideas travelled and changed as composers encountered different influences.

It is also a great way of tracking your own musical journey. When I look back over my diary, I am fascinated to see how my interests have developed, the things that I keep returning to, and the connections I was not aware of. Most importantly, it encourages the habit of regular, active listening and continually finding new music.