A couple of weeks ago, I attended a vinyl listening party, an experience that felt almost foreign in today’s fast-paced, content-driven world. We gathered, we sat, and listened, really listened, to D’Angelo’s Voodoo album from start to finish. No skipping tracks, no background distractions. Just the music as it was meant to be heard.
For the first time in a long time, I felt completely entranced and present in the moment, absorbing the layers, instrumentation, and emotion that D’Angelo and his collaborators poured into the project. It made me think about how we consume music today; quick, fragmented, and often as background noise while we multitask. Whether it’s scrolling through 30-second song clips on social media, letting playlists shuffle in the background while working, or skipping to the “best part” of a song, we rarely take time to appreciate a full body of work.
But this experience also sparked a deeper reflection on the arts in general, especially dance’s relationship with music, and how both have suffered under a culture of instant consumption.
How Society Consumes Art (And Why It’s a Problem)
We live in an era where content is king. that content is expected to be fast, frequent, and easily digestible. The way we listen to music reflects a larger cultural shift. We don’t sit with art anymore. We skim, scroll, and cherry-pick, reducing a project that took years of training, refinement, and emotion into a quick clip for engagement metrics.
This extends beyond music. Dance suffers from the same fast-consumption mentality. Instead of valuing the years of training, technique, and artistry that go into a performance, most people only engage with short, viral clips. Instead of appreciating the musicality and storytelling behind a piece, many just want the trendy moves.
And yet, true artistry takes time. As artists, we need to reclaim space for deep appreciation. Whether that’s through a vinyl listening session or a live performance where the audience isn’t watching through their phones.
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Dance and Music: Why Musicality Matters
One of the biggest takeaways from the listening party was how much dancers can learn from musicians. If you want to grow as a dancer, you need to study the music, not just dance steps.
Great dancers don’t just move to the beat; they move inside the music. They understand:
✔ The nuances of rhythm—how to catch a groove instead of just counting beats.
✔ The instrumentation—how different layers of a track influence movement choices.
✔ The dynamics—how soft and strong moments create contrast in choreography.
Legends in the dance world whether it’s Alvin Ailey’s emotional storytelling, popping pioneers like Boogaloo Sam, or even hip-hop choreographers like Fatima Robinson, all emphasize musicality first.
If you’re a dancer looking to stand out, start listening deeply. Put on an album, close your eyes, and absorb every detail. You’ll notice patterns, subtle grooves, and pockets of sound that can inspire movement in a way that no tutorial ever will.
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Artists Supporting Artists: The Power of Creative Gatherings
Beyond the music itself, the energy in the room at the listening party was something special. It was a gathering of artists, musicians, writers, dancers, all appreciating the art of listening.
Even though we express ourselves in different mediums, we share a common struggle:
📌 Fighting to have our work valued for what it truly is.
📌 Battling commercial pressure that prioritizes clicks over depth.
📌 Wanting people to see, hear, and experience our art as intended.
As the saying goes, “I’m sensitive about my art.” And we should be. We pour our souls into our work, and in a world that’s constantly trying to reduce it to content for algorithms, it’s up to us to push back.
That night reminded me that art needs space, time, and attention to be truly understood. Whether it’s dance, music, film, or fine art, we have to slow down and listen.
Take the Time to Listen—Fully
If you’ve never done a vinyl listening session before, I challenge you to try it. Pick an album not a playlist, not a single, but a full album and let yourself experience it from start to finish.
And if you’re a dancer, choreographer, or creative of any kind, start making deep listening a habit. Your movement, storytelling, and artistry will thank you for it.
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💬 What’s the last album you listened to from start to finish? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
Happy Dancing!
Taylor B.
