When he was 15 years old, audio engineering pioneer Bob Heil learned how to tune pipe organs. What he learned then about listening led to a client list that reads like the Who’s Who of 60’s and 70’s rock and roll…The Who. The Grateful Dead. Jeff Beck. Joe Walsh. Peter Frampton.
I heard Heil interviewed recently by Leo Laporte. Said Heil,
It was very important to understand how to listen. Hearing is just a physical process, but listening is mental.”
I’ve been defining good listening for clients and grad students and training participants for almost 20 years. And from now on, I’m going to be quoting Bob Heil.