Our auditory sense serves numerous purposes, helping us to both survive and enjoy aspects of life. Crucial auditory elements to survival are such things as sound localization, communication, detection of imminent dangers (such as the hiss of a snake), and of course, recognition of sounds. Our auditory system also serves recreational purposes such as listening to music. I think one of the coolest features of our auditory system is when it ties in with our cortex and limbic system to provide unique memory-related and emotional reactions to certain audible stimuli. The fact that humans are able to hear a sound and immediately associate with a certain situation or a certain memory–much like what occurs with the olfactory system–truly mesmerizes me and makes my life so much more enjoyable. The fact that people can listen to the first note of a song and immediately know what it is truly shows us the magnificence of the human body and its design.
One of my favorite auditory activities is listening to classical music. As a former cellist and orchestra member, I love listening to orchestral music and using my auditory system to “tune out” certain sections of the orchestra and highlight other sections. This ability is similar to the ability of the eyes to focus on what they want to and not on other visual stimuli. We are very fortunate to have this discerning ability and be able to enjoy the things we are interested in while simultaneously ignoring the auditory stimuli we are not interested in. As a very musically inclined person, I find it very tough to listen to music while I study, because I find myself unable to tune out the music while I study, because I am so interested in listening to the music. This is why I greatly prefer going to the library to study rather than staying in my room, where my roommates may be playing guitar or listening to music, which would greatly distract me.
