This article analyzes the relationships among music, listening, and public spaces in Colombian cities between 1886 and 1930, a period of intense urban modernization and reconfiguration of the structure and function of public spaces. A significant part of this process was the transformation of colonial plazas (squares) into parques (parks). This coincided with the introduction of new instruments and musical repertoires to symphonic bands, thus promoting new listening practices during retretas, or public outdoor concerts. Both processes produced new understandings of listening and sound in urban public spaces, transforming music and sound into means for disciplining and civilizing the citizens.