headphones.

I think one of the most interesting things technology has brought to music and its relation to the body is concept of headphones -- portability and isolation.

We often take for granted how easy it is that we have ways of experiencing everything to some kind of soundtrack.. these days, it is rare to see people exercising or walking to class or driving a car without listening to music. this adds an entirely new dimension to the physicality that can play into musical engagement.

Even within one simple activity, exercising for example, headphones allow for a higher level of experiencing both the music and the body movement. Bodies can move rhythmically in time with the music or more aggressively during climactic phrases, and the music can be associated with the physical stimulus of exercise. Music can be enjoyed for its exercise-appropriate value (perhaps a quicker beat, a driven and energetic sound, etc.) and can be embodied and realized physically by its listener. The isolation of oneself in sound is empowering and increases focus. It may also give the listener a sense of privacy that makes exercising more comfortable. Or sometimes it's a tuning into oneself and a change of perspective from being an element of the outside world to being an outsider observing the environment. This aspect in particular applies in many more fascinating situations that exercise...

The world looks totally different when you're listening to music. When you decide to smile at a stranger you're passing by because you just heard the most uplifting and inspiring part of a song, your body interacts with the world differently than it would have without the music. The idea that listening to music in this way provides an alternative physical awareness and consequential interaction between the body and its environment in all kinds of different situations is perhaps the most powerful implication of the technological development of headphones.