Listening as Interaction: Rethinking the Role of the Listener in Modern Music

Music is often approached as a finished product — something created by the artist and received by the listener. However, this perspective may overlook the active role of the listener in shaping musical experience. This paper explores listening as an interactive process, where perception, expectation, and interpretation contribute to how music is understood. It builds upon recent discussions surrounding structure and emotional response in music, suggesting that listening itself plays a central role in how these elements are experienced.