The word tacet is usually used for long stretches of rest, often multiple bars (measures) or longer. Oliveros developed Deep Listening in collaboration with her partner IONE and the movement artist Heloise Gold. A Deep Listening practice involves exercises and meditations that encourage “360 degree” and “24-hour” listening. This might include listening with parts of your body other than your ears, and paying attention to sounds even while dreaming. To facilitate the practice, Oliveros wrote text-based scores, many of which resemble Zen koans, such as the meditation “Have You Ever Heard the Sound of an Iceberg Melting?” I could easily go on and on about what Mr Wigglesworth has to say about such things as surtitles at the opera, observing other conductors in rehearsal, the various challenges of conducting opera versus concerts, coping with singers versus instrumentalists and the zillion other things about what a conductor faces, decides, likes, dislikes, accomplishes, succeeds, fails and on and on. The concept of emptiness or absence is also a central tenet of Zen Buddhism, which evolved in China during Tao Yuanming’s lifetime and spread to Japan in the 12th century. Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy teaches in the Heart of Wisdom Sutra that “form does not differ from emptiness; emptiness does not differ from form.” (10)

There are times when I feel a book should be written about the good and bad of listening to recordings of works that you are preparing or studying. I like the above quote as one version of coping with the dilemma of being influenced by what others have done.

The researchers knew that time (specifically keeping their participants in time with music while imagining it) would be key to the success of the study, and so they wired up their volunteers with tactile metronomes that vibrated at a steady beat to keep their imagined music at a steady pace. In the first paper, the researchers played 4 different Bach melodies 11 times each to their participants, who were allowed to read the sheet music. Then, they were placed in the same scenario but with the music switched off.

In this invaluable book, [Mark Wigglesworth] writes, with immense insight, in often rather beautiful prose, for the general and specialist reader, about the nature of conducting. It is not merely a very clever book, revealing a depth of learning lightly displayed, but a very wise one, whose appeal moves beyond the world of music. These differences, however, happened in such a predictable fashion that the researchers were able to identify the heard melody just by analyzing the EEG signals produced during the imagery sessions.Of all the notions most likely to rile more conservative critics, the idea of composing music with no sound may be the most provocative. But can silence ever make a valuable artistic statement? If not, why are people still willing to pay good money for the chance to rest their ears? Betz, Marianne (1999). " In futurum – von Schulhoff zu Cage". Archiv für Musikwissenschaft. 56 (4): 331–346. doi: 10.2307/931056. JSTOR 931056. includes one facsimile, p. 335 The wide range of accessibility that Wigglesworth creates makes this book truly unique and incomparable to other books of its kind. It provides a clear view into what it takes to be a conductor and all that this very demanding and multi-faceted role encompasses. Wigglesworth’s statements about the art of conducting and the need for self-reflection apply across the board to people of all professions. “… Despite all the good and bad that comes our way, the most significant criticisms are the ones we give ourselves.” Silence]" ("A suitable place for those with tired ears to pause and resume listening later") by Robert Wyatt