In its Listening Artists feature, Preludium (the monthly publication of the Concertgebouw and the Concertgebouw Orchestra) speaks with people who use their ears every day in a special way. This month, we’re talking to sor. As guest artist on Opening Night, he will be performing tracks from his album Bae Doven with the orchestra in a new arrangement composed specially for the occasion.
What does listening mean to you?
‘Listening is not the same as hearing. My mother says I couldn’t listen as a child, and I think she’s probably right. It’s only when you really focus that you notice special things in music. Listening is something you have to learn how to do. You can listen with a consumer’s ear, with an emotional ear, with a technical ear. For me, that changes all the time. Listening to music while doing homework isn’t really listening – it’s just there in the background. It’s like if I’m cleaning, I won’t put on anything I want to listen to closely.’
Do you listen differently from other people?
‘I think everyone listens differently. I listen very critically. I can hear a song once and think it’s rubbish. But if I hear it again at a club, I may like it because it works in that setting. A bridge should follow the end of a verse in a pop song. If not, the song doesn’t work for me. I can’t just switch off that technical way of listening. I listen like a professional. Since I started using hearing aids, I hear everything all at once – I can’t filter things out. It’s like I’ve got speakers in my ears all the time. So I guess in that sense I hear sounds differently from someone who doesn’t wear hearing aids.’
Nothing, silence, is the best sound ever. I miss that. I never hear nothing. Nothing is underrated. Silences make the music.
What do you enjoy listening to?
‘Music that reflects my mood at a given moment. After a show, I prefer not to listen to anything in the car for a while. I love hearing the sound of the car engine then. I drive a diesel – not exactly environmentally friendly, I know – and can hear it rattle. The sound of the air conditioning has a cooling effect, which is nice, too. I like background noises so you can understand the person you’re talking to really well. Did you know that if a whole group of people in a room say the word rabarber [rhubarb – ed.] at the same time, it sounds like background noise? It’s the perfect word for that. Nothing, silence, is the best sound ever. I miss that. I never hear nothing. Nothing is underrated. Silences make the music. I also like the sound of an orchestra tuning.’
What would you prefer not to listen to?
‘I hate the sound of a microwave. And the wind – it blows straight into my hearing aids and makes an annoying crackling sound. I love the beach, so I always have my hearing aids out when I’m there. I like the sound of rain when I’m wearing a hood. I don’t like the Antwerp accent in Dutch. My girlfriend is Belgian. Even Belgians don’t like that accent.’
What’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever heard?
‘My niece when she would cry as a baby. It was very sweet. And of course, the day I could hear notes again and distinguish pitches. For three months, I couldn’t discern frequencies because of my hearing loss. When I heard a C major chord for the first time again, I was over the moon.
What would you most like to let others hear, and who?
‘The sound of an orchestra when you’re standing on the podium as the conductor. I’d love for all my fellow musicians to have that experience. The place where the conductor stands is perfect. You hear everything individually and perfectly mixed at the same time. Once you’ve experienced that, you’re hooked for life.’
Who is sor?
sor is the stage name of composer, rapper, singer and producer Rosario Mussendijk. He says, ‘I’m an artist and learned to conduct on the TV show Maestro. People may also know me from the last season of Wie is de Mol? [the Dutch version of The Mole]. Or from my last album [Bae Doven], which won two Edison Awards.’ Since dealing with hearing loss in 2018, sor has been making music using a hearing aid and an audio system that works through touch. His album Bae Doven (a nod to Beethoven) combines classical music and hip-hop.
Frederike Berntsen for Preludium
