Throughout February and March, 3 Dots and Gorinto Productions are offering the public a chance to combat the Monday blues and the winter blahs through a weekly deep listening experience of an eclectic selection of 20th and 21st century music.
Each session will begin with a short orientation describing that week’s selection. Participants will then listen to the selected album in its entirety, without talking. A group discussion will follow.
Corey Elbin of Gorinto Productions has curated the selections to represent a diverse array of musicians and musical styles, from classical to jazz to techno to modern indie rock.
“I truly believe there’s something for everybody,” he said.
Having worked as a DJ for over 20 years, Elbin is excited to share music with the community through this very intentional, focused platform.
“As much as I would love for people to fully pay attention to what I’m playing when I’m DJing or on the radio, I can’t really tell them to stop and pull the car over, because it’s about to get really good,” he said.
But, he said, to deeply listen to an album without distraction, rather than as background music, can serve as something akin to meditation or yoga.
“The idea is to let go of everything else and just focus in on (the music),” he said.
Although participants will not be speaking to each other while each piece is presented, the experience is designed to be social and to create a deeper sense of community, said Erica Quinn, executive director of 3 Dots.
“To me, there is something really powerful and really connective about this kind of collective experience — the way that we can sit together and have the same thing happen to us, and we’re maybe interpreting it in different ways, but we all kind of share it,” she said. “There’s kind of a ritualistic and meditative aspect that I personally feel really strongly about, and I’m excited for the community to be able to experience this as well.”
Elbin will present each selection through the medium he feels best showcases the albums, whether that be digital format, vinyl records or surround sound.
The Weekly Listening Series takes place at 3 Dots, 137 E. Beaver Ave., each Monday at 7 p.m., for a suggested donation of $10 ($5 with student ID). Light refreshments are included.
This week’s selection is Midori Takada’s seminal 1983 release “Through the Looking Glass.”
For more information, visit gorintoproductions.com or 3dotsdowntown.com.
