Josh brought up an interesting point in my last post with regards to music (it actually touches on something I considered while writing my recent iPod rant– the iTunes music store). I began to respond in the comments section, but figured this was interesting enough to merit it’s own post.
So the issue is listening vs. hearing, and perhaps music vs. noise.
When I wrote about iPods I had considered what songs were the most popular in the iTunes music store. Inevitably it’s 50 cent, Black Eyed Peas, or Kanye Westor something like that in the top 10. Stuff I’d probably assume is crap (according to my opinion / taste, of course). This is what people are buying and listening to, those ratings are based off sales. Those are probably songs that get way overplayed on certain radio stations as well.
What makes music, music? Can something be music but be reduced to noise simply by only hearing it and not listening to it? Honestly, depending upon the amount of attention I have to give to the music, there may be several levels of listening. For example, playing a song on repeat all the way to work. Driving to work is something I do every day, I follow the same roads, very little changes from day to day. It doesn’t take a great deal of effort be alert to other drivers, traffic lights, etc. In this scenario, I’d like to think that I’m listening to the music more than when, say, I’m involved in a project at work or for school. I’d say that I’m listening to that song on the way to work. Though I have to ask– does it require the participation of the person hearing it for it to really be considered music?
Another example: in November of 2001 I bought the Fellowship of the Ring soundtrack because I follow film scores and am always on the lookout for good soundtracks. At that point I wasn’t looking forward to the movie at all that I can remember– I was just interested in music. After buying it I “listened” to it while working on a project for a class I was taking. I don’t remember being terribly impressed by the music at that time. Thinking back in the context of this dialogue, I probably wasn’t listening to music as much as I had turned on some background noise that I wasn’t paying much attention to, because now that soundtrack ranks up there as one of my favorites. I’m sure my love of the book / movies helps with that, but really– I wasn’t listening to know if it was good or not, or to know if you could even call it music. There is some music that I don’t enjoy listening to by itself, but works really well as background music.
Music often becomes the soundtrack for my thoughts and feelings. I listen to different types of music depending on my mood. I love to immerse myself in it. If I’m sitting at work with my earphones in with the same song on repeat, there’s a good chance I’m busy doing something else such that I’m not paying terribly close attention to that song. Then again, there’s that mood / soundtrack factor. Music often connects with the emotions, and listening (yes listening) to that song on repeat may be a form of expression, a way to augment whatever I’m feeling without having to concentrate solely on it. So is it just noise at this point? When does it cease to be music and become noise?
I suppose I just think the subject is interesting to consider, because how you approach music (or noise) can affect your level of appreciation for it and enjoyment of it. I think each person appreciates music on their own level. Me, I tend to obsess over sound quality. You won’t find me buying music from the iTunes store because it’s lossy, it’s tainted, it doesn’t meet my standard of quality– if I want to listen to something seriously then I’m going to buy the CD. You won’t find me listening to the cheap earbuds that come with music players because it cheapens the experience of listening. I am by no means an audiophile, but I have a basic grasp of what different levels of quality exist in sound reproduction. Defects in the sound detract from the listening experience, to me. They distract me from what’s important– the music itself.
Josh is more educated in music than I (is that an understatement or what? Hehe…) This is why I think it’d be fun to co-author a film score blog. I could give average, every-man enthusiast point of view, and Josh could be much more articulate and critical about the quality of a score or piece of music. One of these days…
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6 responses to “Music?”
now you’re bloggin!
oh sure, i spent years learning about quarter notes and major scales and such.. so that makes me smarter. i disagree. when it comes to taste, i’m sure you have me outclassed. in fact, only in the past couple of weeks, have i begun to explore the emotional aspects of music. all of my experience has been purely cerebral and theoretical. thus, my frequent comment: i don’t even like music. something about school makes you forget what exactly you liked about it to start with. you seem to have a good grasp on why you like music. fortunately, perhaps all is not lost. i am learning new piano music for the first time since 2001. it is quite exhillarating. dang… i think maybe i should post about it.
i will leave it at this: what makes music music? i’d like to know what God thinks. i’ll ask him when i die. but i know there is some music suitable for masking background noise or silence. for when we don’t want to deal with our own self-consciousness. then there is music that requires deep attention. do they overlap? well.. i’ve heard beethoven’s 5th on the muzak in a restaurant…
On the other hand, it’s possible that one could take too much of an emotional approach to music. I suppose as with many other things that balance is a key. I recall reading a review of the soundtrack to The Passion of the Christ, and the author could not separate himself from the movie– because he viewed the movie as emotionally manipulative (isn’t that what most film music is supposed to do?) he had a hard time being fair with it. I, on the other hand, not having seen the movie, could appreciate the music for what it was, without being distracted by this idea that the film maker and thus composer were trying to guilt the viewer/listener. I just thought there was some beautiful music on the album and I suppose I’m a sucker for dramatic music.
I suppose that’s something else to consider– your appreciation of music is also affected by what you bring with you to the listening experience… past experiences, your own personality, beliefs, tastes, and so on.
Regarding emotion and music: I think emotion can make music more meaningful. I think emotion is the reason a lot of people write music– it’s expressing something, isn’t it? You’re a LOTR fan, Josh– think of the scene at the end of Fellowship where Sam is trying to swim out to Frodo and how he just sinks. Does the music there play a role in how strongly you feel that loyalty and friendship between those two there? Or that music that plays as Gandalf falls into shadow? Though I think the music in both those scenes would be beautiful on it’s own, associating it with human emotion makes it deeper.
Dang. And this is why my drawing 2 teacher was so hard on me. Not because I sucked at drawing but because my work in that class wasn’t expressive like she wanted it to be. Another dang woman being frustrated with me for keeping my emotions to myself, hehe… could I help it if I didn’t know HOW to express emotion through drawing? I just never felt that it was required for art to be expressive to be art… but I guess that expressive element makes it much more valuable and interesting.
Music
n.
…
2. Vocal or instrumental sounds possessing a degree of melody, harmony, or rhythm.
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6. An aesthetically pleasing or harmonious sound or combination of sounds: the music of the wind in the pines.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
-Dictionary.com
dictionary.com,
learn your place. you DEscribe the language, you don’t PREscribe it. we’ll figure out what a word means, then we’ll let you know, and you can put it in your little spelling book.
Music. I just had a discussion about “hearing” music and really “hearing” the music.
Sometimes, regardless of what is in the cd player, it’s only background noise. Something comforting and soothing or occasionally distracting (which can be the same cd depending on how I’m feeling!) Sometimes it’s something I actually hear the lyrics to and the lyrics having meaning in my life.
I have been listening to the same cd for 4 weeks straight at work. I know bad but it’s good. The volume varies occasionally. Sometimes background, sometimes meaningful.
I hear songs from the 80’s occasionally that bring back memories of much laughter and the songs lighten my heart. Then I hear the country songs from the time of my divorce and I cry, not necessarily because they are country or sad, just what the meaning of them evoke in me.
so anyway… music is good.
Note: the 4 week old cd in my player? Casting Crowns “Lifesong.”
That’s a great point. That’s yet another thing that adds to music– associations with memories. There’s Korean pop music that, while it has nothing to do with specific experiences I had in Korea, it is linked with a specific time and location and hence brings back very vivid memories of those times.
Just this last weekend on a road trip, Mel had made a halloween mix that included some songs from the Ghostbusters II soundtrack. We all knew the words and sang along– it was hilarious and brought back memories from years long gone. I love that music has that power.