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Answers in same order: I use it as a warmup/for doing rapid alterations between broad/narrow attention. I'll often pick a song with a strong percussive bass/drum line that occasionally disappears. While it's there, focus on the percussion. When it's gone, open up to everything.
Yes the spatiality aspect - broad/narrow, inclusive/exclusive, etc - seems like a key strength in using music, and pretty accessible to the beginner, eg: brother immediately grokked what I meant when I said something like, 'open to the experience of silence in which sounds arise'
I rarely use music in sitting practice, and I don't do a lot of other 'sound based' practices - mantra, chant, song.... But I've used it for 'trigger practice' as Shinzen would call it - which allowed me to untangle a lot of the 'sensory overload' that many aspies experience.
Musicianship combines the flow-like ability to stay in focus with the aesthetics of meditation, IMO. A footballer or w/e can also be "in the zone"... ... but musicians share something of the meditator's relationship with silence, which is a more subtle thing.
I hadn't made that connection - probably because I'm not a musician - but that makes perfect sense to me. As I said, once I started considering it I realised what a broad & rich area of exploration it is, or could be.
I really like your question and this conversation. I suspect that almost every contemplative person uses some kind of focus on listening. In fact when I focus deeply on listening even found sounds become a kind of music.
For me to incorporate music into that deep listening experience, I find that I most enjoy the music when it has a certain spaciousness and/or a range of effects
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