Pat McCusker, a guitarist (in David Duchovny’s band), producer, and audio engineer (the sharp ear behind our Time Sensitive and The Workspace of Tomorrow podcasts) deeply believes in the act of “active listening.”

“It’s a very simple idea that my friends and I started a few years ago,” McCusker says. “It’s something that’s so rarely practiced in our busy lives these days. ‘Active listening’ means you just sit and listen to music—and that’s it. Do nothing else. So often, we listen to music while doing something, whether it’s cooking, running, driving, or if we’re at a restaurant or a party—it’s always second to whatever we’re doing. But to actually actively tune your ears to the music you’re listening to is important and essential. My friends and I wanted to make it a primary thing. There’s something really magical in that act of just sitting, closing your eyes, and listening.”

Here, McCusker shares an eclectic 10-song playlist that’s intended for engaging your ears:

“Bet She Looks Like You,” Nick Hakim

“Niandou,” Ballaké Sissoko & Vincent Segal

“Canyon in the Rain,” Jonathan Wilson

“Mythological Beauty,” Big Thief

“My Friend the Forest,” Nils Frahm

“Self Control,” Frank Ocean

“Sweet Relief,” Kimbra

“Feel Like Makin’ Love,” D’Angelo

“You Are My Sunshine,” Bill Frisell

“Cranes in the Sky,” Solange

Give it a go. Or, as the countercultural psychologist and writer Timothy Leary advised, “Tune in, turn on, drop out.”