“The listening guide is a wonderful tool. I did not actually use it during the performance [of Beethoven Symphony No. 5], but have used it since in listening to the music to enhance my understanding and appreciation.”

“Please tell Hannah that she must create one for every symphony. So clear and helpful! And then she can create them for all other works!”

“One highly visible change is the [Toronto Symphony Orchestra]’s program booklet, now called Key, edited by a musicologist Hannah Chan-Hartley. [...] Another thing Dr. Chan-Hartley has done in this edition is design a three-page visual listening guide to La Mer, with indicators as to which instruments are being featured at various moments – I think it’s a brilliant thing and look forward to more of the same.”

“I especially love the schematic [of Debussy’s La mer]. I am personally very interested in data analysis and visualization. This answers my personal question about how a conductor sees a piece of music.”

“We were fascinated by the visual listening guide to the [Tchaikovsky’s] 6th symphony, provided in the program. It guides our listening, and brings to life the concept of “active listening”. ”

“Really like the new graphic guide to music and program book design. Keep up with new ways to let people learn about music.”

“At the moment, some outstanding work by your [Toronto Symphony Orchestra] graphics and musicologist folks is making the Facebook and social media rounds. I’m referring to the road maps of the pieces. It’s fine work. [...] It supports art, it advances art understanding, and the graphics work is beautiful art on its own. It is clever and it is useful. Who could ask for more?”

“I have a very limited experience with music so I find a guide like this very helpful. It is simple to understand and illustrates important points and instruments used which enable me to follow the music more efficiently than without a visual guide. The instrument icons are especially helpful as well as the images of the tonality of the music and what motive is being played.”

“I really liked it. Found it very helpful and intuitive. Understood the notation without professor’s explanation. Overall, there is nothing that I would change. I would hope to see more of these in the future.”

“I thought the listening guide was very intuitive and helpful. I liked the layout (intro, section 1, etc.), the clarity of visuals (great fonts, spacing, the instrument symbols), and the amount of information on the page. Overall, I thought it was extremely helpful and visually beautiful.”

“[My f]irst impression was that the illustrating/describing the main instruments of each musical section was incredibly helpful; different, visual, interesting. Overall, the guide was quite accessible, especially when compared to the guides in the Music Humanities textbook.”

“This is a wonderful idea. As a parent with four kids learning instruments, we would welcome this at concerts we take them to! We will be be using the guide we received last night to listen to a recording with them! Thank you!”

“This was my first time seeing something like this at a professional concert and I love it! It makes the music more accessible and engaging.”

“As a TOTAL neophyte (do not read music, have NO experience playing music)...it definitely added to my appreciation of a symphony I’ve heard many times, in concert (or electronically). For those of us who are inveterate ‘learners,’ it was excellent!”

“I have loved [Dvořák’s] “From The New World” symphony all my life but until this evening’s performance I never appreciated the masterly way in which the work is structured. This is a great initiative and very much appreciated. I hope to enjoy many more listening guides of this type in the future. Thank you.”

“Great idea! Very impressed with this simple way of representing the music. I followed it for one movement, but decided not to follow the rest, but to watch the orchestra and just listen. However, I am going to listen to a recording and follow the whole guide.”

“Before the Dvořák symphony started, I thought I wouldn’t use the listening guide, as I thought I would prefer to listen to the music without analysing it. During the performance though I combined listening and looking at the guide at times, and found it enhanced my experience. I could be moved by the music and see how it worked as well! The listening guide can be followed easily and quickly, more so than reading the program.”

“I, my wife, and my son went to the Barbican in London last night (8th December) to hear the London Symphony Orchestra performing Mahler’s 4th symphony. They made your visual listening guide available and I followed it throughout the performance; I already knew the symphony well, but the guide added immeasurably to my understanding and appreciation. I congratulate you on producing such a wonderful series of guides, and I will look out for them when attending future concerts.”