Having the opportunity to discover more music through streaming platforms such as IDAGIO is one thing about the modern age that I have to admit I really love. For a relatively modest monthly fee, we have access to pretty much unlimited music by our favourite artists. We also have an opportunity to explore different composers for no additional financial outlay. I also always want to listen to piano music on the go.
Sure, public lending libraries were helpful in the past. However, for the convenience factor, I don’t think you can beat the phone in your pocket as it were.
Listening to music on the go
Like many people who have passed their half century, getting regular exercise is now a necessity for me. I now ensure I have a good walk each day. This in fact is the time when I do most of my active listening. For most popular music (given it makes remarkably little use of dynamic changes), using just the standard headphones that come with the phone gives a perfectly acceptable listening experience. Even on public transport.
However, once we want to listen to classical music – even louder orchestral music – it really isn’t so great. In fact, I pretty much gave up on trying to listen during my daily walks. I live in the city and so for the most part, I’m walking along noisy streets. The constantly passing cars, motorbikes and the like tended to simply drown out large swathes of what I was listening to.
Noise cancelling headphones
Of course, the option of noise cancelling headphones has always been there. Indeed, I have a set of Bose headphones that I have found extremely helpful when flying. However, they’re somewhat inconvenient to carry everywhere due to their bulky size. In warmer weather they are also extremely unpleasant to wear outside.
Therefore, I’ve ended up listening to Michael Bublé rather than Martha Argerich more often than not once out of the house.
Newer technology
However, technology now appears to have caught up. I recently (slightly reluctantly) treated myself to Apple’s AirPods Pro. I say reluctantly because I was a little annoyed about needing to buy wireless headphones. However, there I made an unexpected and frankly amazing discovery. AirPods Pro come equipped with quite amazing noise cancelling technology. What that means is that the mini computer inside the AirPods is able to filter out any noise that isn’t originating from the music to which you’re listening. As a result, even during the quietest passages of solo piano music, you can still actually hear what it being played when a large lorry passes.
Even better, they are ‘in ear’ which means they are tiny to carry around. They literally fit in my trouser pockets.
At last – piano on the go
For me this is a serious game changer. This morning, I treated myself a fabulous recording of Martha Argerich playing Debussy as I was walking to the shops. Even for non Apple users, luckily, there appears to be a whole set of other very similar products now available from other manufacturers at the variety of price ranges. I can’t personally vouch for how well they work compared to the AirPods Pro from Apple, however, I watched a couple of comparison reviews and others such as Beats (which are much less expensive) come out well.
Some might worry about the safety side. Effectively, noise cancellation means you don’t hear much that is going on around you so clearly. I found that the noise cancellation works in such a way that when listening to Classical Music, you still are aware of external noise. I think if listening to louder popular music, it might be a problem. However, most brands come with a ‘transparency’ mode which effectively reduces the noise cancellation.
If you’ve been facing the same problem enjoying your music on the go, then this is certainly a solution worth exploring. See what you think!
