How Do You Listen? Notes from a Composer’s Journey

What happens when music doesn’t follow the rules we expect? When rhythm, melody, and harmony seem to disappear — what are we actually hearing?

In this MEL Talk, composer and retired music professor Robert Constable invites the audience into a conversation about listening itself. Drawing from his decades of experience composing avant-garde music and teaching music theory, Robert reflects on the listener’s role in shaping musical meaning. Along the way, he shares personal insights from a lifetime of curiosity — from studying with icons like György Ligeti and Iannis Xenakis, to creating musical models inspired by chemistry, math, and natural processes.

This talk combines short listening examples, storytelling, and open discussion to help listeners explore the unexpected beauty — and often misunderstood logic — of modern experimental music.

Whether you’re an avid concertgoer or someone who’s said “I just don’t get this kind of music,” this evening offers a welcoming and thought-provoking introduction to hearing differently.