Imagining between ourselves: a group interview approach in exploring listening experiences

In this paper listening experiences are explored through verbal interactions in a group interview situation. By focusing on (1) ordinary and (2) evocative modes of dealing with listening experiences, the present study investigated how imagination mediates between pre-reflective and reflective consciousness and how imagining is shared between persons. Analysis revealed that participants utilised both modes in their discussions for either music or everyday sound samples, although the ordinary mode was the dominant one. The evocative mode was utilised relatively more frequently with the music samples. Group dynamics had an effect on how the mental images and meanings were described and shared within the group interviews. With regard to the sharing of listening experiences, three degrees of group agreement were unveiled.