Berlin, July 2026

Why Listening is Water

I used to think listening simply meant hearing music correctly.

Over the years, I realized that listening begins much earlier than that.

Before we can truly listen to music, we have to learn to listen to ourselves.

In my 20+ years of career as a hired drummer, most of the performance was given in the situation where I don’t know the setlist, who is going to be playing together that night. And my job was to instinctively read the band leaders signs to follow the band. I was lucky, so I played with bands who was working together for so long, that they almost play together as one being. I was the only new comer, filling in the foundation of the groove. And when that happens, if you really give attention and listen, the job is pretty easy. But then, my focus was more onto out world, and often times I left my own needs aside. Instead of “playing together”, I was just following them. 

It wasn’t easy for me to listening back to my performance, because I had so much fear in facing myself. I was judging myself too much. But when I started my own project, there was no excuse. To understand what’s happening and to find what and how to develop, I needed to record everything and listen back. It sucked and was painful to listen to my poor singing and the suffering drumming because of too many tasks I have on stage. But at the same time, I loved it. Because finally, no matter how it was, I was doing the music I wanted to play. It was my music. And I wanted to make it better. So, instead of criticising everything and being pity about it, I finally found the way to properly observe and find things to improve. Apparently, I am very emotionally rich. So everything pulls out emotions and I get attached. Being able to separate my emotions from my actions was a major discovery for me.

Through years of practice and study in music, yoga, the Five Elements, and other philosophies, I began to notice a pattern. Everything seemed to move in cycles.

Water became the first element in my own map—not because it is passive, but because it receives.

Before a river changes its course, it first reflects the landscape around it.

In the same way, before we can choose a direction in life, we first need to notice where we are. And what we want. For me, Water is listening.

Looking back, I realized music had been teaching me this all along. Listening is perhaps the most important skills. Observe what you are playing, is why we practice the daily routine. To find out what’s different from yesterday. Some progress, some change, maybe new problem that you didn’t see until today. Listen carefully to what’s happening in music, when you listen, or play. What makes the music how that sounds. Who’s playing what. Then, you have a choice to go along with it, or go against it, or stay how it is. 

Listening is a great tools for meditation as well. Just sit and give a listen to what’s happening around you. You maybe hear the noise of the trees, birds singing, kids running around, cars, and the click of the clock…

Take a comfortable seat.

Take one deep breath.

Let your breathing return to its natural rhythm.

Then simply listen.

Listen to the sounds around you.

Notice your thoughts.

Listen to your body.

Then ask. 

If there were nothing to prove, what would you choose to create in life?