function of music

[felix]

There are many different types of music in the world today. Why do we need music? Is the traditional music of a country more important than the international music that is heard everywhere nowadays?

[Slimething]

The mind revels in music. Dunno why, it just does. Listen to the music that speaks to you, the hell with all else. For FSM's sake, don't listen to Brittney!!!

ETA: Welcome to the Forum!

[J_E_R]

Sexual Selection

“... it appears probable that the progenitors of man, either the males or females or both sexes, before acquiring the power of expressing their mutual love in articulate language, endeavoured to charm each other with musical notes and rhythm.” (Darwin, The Descent of Man, 1871, pp. 880)

[Tobermory]

Music can communicate emotion better than words. It is mood, color, art, sound, science, and mathematics blended to perfection.

Without it, I could not live. There are scientific explanations for the effect of sound waves on thought and emotion, I am sure. No matter. I can only say that I am glad that I was raised surrounded by music and that it evokes the emotional response that it does.

Art, literature, music, nature -- these are all things of beauty that make life worth living, establish connections with other human beings, and provide links to the wonders of our past.

OK, enough sappiness over this topic, but it is very dear to my heart. :lovestruck:

A few related but interesting questions to me are: What exactly is music? At at what point does one distinguish it from simple rhythm and/or sound? How does the development of musical styles/theory correlate to the development of science and rational thought? And finally, why is it that some people are affected by music so significantly whereas others are not?

[felix]

To me, music is the most difficult to define for intellect because it is subtle,seeming to produce its effects as by a miralce.

All art forms must draw its form utimately from nature, and to this law, music is no exception. Yet the relation it sustains to nature is widely different from that of sculpture and painting.The latter arts depend, as we have seen, upon the direct imitation of forms given in nature. Even isloting the impression of music, the listener can get a direct sensuous pleasure at once.

[LBN]

There was a study published in 2001 that found music activated the brain's reward and emotion centers -- the same areas that have been found to "light up" when stimulated by food, sex and drugs of abuse. The implication is that music, while not necessary to survival like food or sex, is vital to a person's sense of well-being.

If you're interested in the nitty-gritty of the study, google for "Intensely pleasurable responses to music correlate with activity in brain regions implicated in reward and emotion".

:whistling

[kmortis]

Without it, I could not live. There are scientific explanations for the effect of sound waves on thought and emotion, I am sure. No matter. I can only say that I am glad that I was raised surrounded by music and that it evokes the emotional response that it does.

Including producing schizophrenia in listeners. Re: the first production of Le Sacre du printemps.

[Bikewer]

Diane Rehm interviewed the author of this book:

http://www.amazon.com/This-Your-Brain-Music-Obsession/dp/0452288525/ref=pd_bbs_2/002-0005479-5558439?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190037707&sr=8-2

A few months ago. He details a wide variety of physiological goings on as a result of music-listening.
It appears to be hard-wired.

In Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, Sagan points out that Chimps and Bonobos indulge in drumming and rhythmic hooting; it may be very old indeed.

[Overman]

I just picked up that book yesterday to read! Review coming in a week or so.

[TX50]

In Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, Sagan points out that Chimps and Bonobos indulge in drumming and rhythmic hooting; it may be very old indeed.

And whale song is (arguably) music too. So the phenomenon is not restricted
to primates.

[Andronicus]

What's music's function? Why music at all? Music has the power to make man happy.

The answers to how is interesting, by the what and why is pretty simple.

[negativ]

Short answer: Music is language where words alone do not suffice.

Longer answer: It just so happens that Radio Lab (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Lab) delved deeply into this question, and you can (and SHOULD) listen to the results at this link. (http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/episodes/2006/04/21)

[Crystal]

What about the creation of music? I always feel better once I sing. Some people talk about connecting to some other plane, or expressing emotion, or feeing their soul.

But I think the physical act of singing is what is relaxing--- deep supported breathing, erect posture, relaxed jaw and neck...that is calming.

I can imagine that other musical activities have similar effects, and that music is actually healthy, meeting some biological needs somehow.

[Tobermory]

Playing the same passage on the piano over and over again makes my fingers ache. (Lack of regular practice, I suppose). It's only the final result, when emotion supersedes technique that gives immense pleasure.

[Just thinking]

I believe it was Rachmaninoff who said (or words to this effect) ...

Ask me what I think and I will tell you in words.
Ask me how I feel and I will convey it in music.

If you've ever listened to anything he wrote, you'll know he meant exactly what he said.

[Just thinking]

What's music's function? Why music at all? Music has the power to make man happy.

The answers to how is interesting, by the what and why is pretty simple.

Happy? ... yes, for sure. But much much more. It can reflect virtually every emotion.

[TJ]

All I know is this: without music, TJ is not a happy boy.

Music is something that transcends everything else for me, but I can't explain it. What is music? A series of vibrations in repeating harmonic patterns? Whether or not it even has lyrics, it has the power to move me - carry me - to places that my mind could never go without it.

I'm not sure I could live without music. In fact, I'm quite sure that I could not. That's not to say that I love it all, but I love a lot of it.

I don't have the territorial assignation though. Some music that comes from my motherland here in the U.S. is great, some of it is aural excrement. I love bunches of music with lyrics that I can't understand, bunches of other music that has no lyrics or vocalizations of any kind. It doesn't really matter to me where it comes from, and I'm not really sure what specifically makes it pleasurable or not to my ears. I just like good music.

[ksbluesfan]

Is this it?

f(music) = sin(x) + x3

[Crystal]

Playing the same passage on the piano over and over again makes my fingers ache. (Lack of regular practice, I suppose). It's only the final result, when emotion supersedes technique that gives immense pleasure.

Oooh this leads me to my next thought on music and skepticism: that technical foundation makes the emotional experience so much better, right? You have more solid and extensive tools to draw from to create what you want. But the practice part --- where you play, and realize what you want to do better and then play again and again and again is --- I would say --- a critical thinking process, where you almost have to suspend emotion, in order to focus on the technique SO THAT you, in the end, can have that transcendent experience.

At least, that's how it is for me. Any concurrence?

[Crystal]

All I know is this: without music, TJ is not a happy boy.

Music is something that transcends everything else for me, but I can't explain it. What is music? A series of vibrations in repeating harmonic patterns? Whether or not it even has lyrics, it has the power to move me - carry me - to places that my mind could never go without it.

I'm not sure I could live without music. In fact, I'm quite sure that I could not. That's not to say that I love it all, but I love a lot of it.

I don't have the territorial assignation though. Some music that comes from my motherland here in the U.S. is great, some of it is aural excrement. I love bunches of music with lyrics that I can't understand, bunches of other music that has no lyrics or vocalizations of any kind. It doesn't really matter to me where it comes from, and I'm not really sure what specifically makes it pleasurable or not to my ears. I just like good music.

Funny. I don't think I've ever met someone who claimed to like bad music...

PROVE it's good

[earloke]

Music is an odd little bippe that is absorbed and processed by the part of the brain that we dont even think about and below the surface of normal understanding .It is one of the special talents that almost every one of us has to one degree or another .Some play instrumentson on a scale that is unknown to others and some have the talent to sing ,some just to listen.Either way I beilieve any of these methods releases endorphins and creates a feeling of well being. I myself sing and like when I do art work I can become lost and time passes so quickly I am amazed . After either I haveafeelin ofcomplete relaxation That nothing else can bring. I dont think this can be measured or anyalized. It is just a part of the genetic coding of some mammals that has developed over millions of years.

[orpheus]

Including producing schizophrenia in listeners. Re: the first production of Le Sacre du printemps.

Not necessarily. I'm a huge Stravinsky fan, so this is not to knock the immense power of "Le Sacre" - but a lot of the audience reaction at the 1913 premiere was due to the dancing. Diaghelev (head of the Ballet Russes) had entrusted his protegé Nijinsky with the choreography. While Nijinsky was a genius dancer, he was an inexperienced choreographer. According to Stravinsky and others, he had no understanding of the music - and its complexities were, in any case, far beyond his choreographic abilities to cope with.

Still, "Le Sacre" does indeed - still today - pack quite a punch.

Good old uncle Igor!

:)

[orpheus]

Diane Rehm interviewed the author of this book:

http://www.amazon.com/This-Your-Brain-Music-Obsession/dp/0452288525/ref=pd_bbs_2/002-0005479-5558439?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190037707&sr=8-2

A few months ago. He details a wide variety of physiological goings on as a result of music-listening.
It appears to be hard-wired.

In Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, Sagan points out that Chimps and Bonobos indulge in drumming and rhythmic hooting; it may be very old indeed.

I heard a long interview with Levitin (not the one with Rehm). I admit I have not read the book, so take this with a grain of salt. Not to be a spoilsport, but what he said in the interview was highly speculative; he made unsubstantiated claims, and seemed to have a fairly shallow technical knowledge of music. He seemed (from what I could tell) unacquainted with serious previous work in the field (e.g., philosopher Suzanne K. Langer, musicologist Leonard B. Meyer, music analyst Carl Schachter, AI guy Marvin Minsky).

In fairness, I will read the book. But I don't hold much hope. All in all, in the interview, what he said that was true was not new; what was new he hadn't shown to be true.

[orpheus]

A google search of Minsky and music comes up with a lot, including his classic essay "Music, Mind and Meaning". Raises more questions than it answers, but these are very good questions, and he asks them in some depth. Very worthwhile reading:

http://web.media.mit.edu/~minsky/papers/MusicMindMeaning.html

Also, I've been meaning to read Joseph LeDoux's "The Emotional Brain" (about the limbic system). Supposed to be a good one on our emotions in general.

[orpheus]

One other resource:

http://www.rouvelle.com

James Rouvelle teaches at the Maryland Institute for Contemporary Art. He's an old colleague and friend. Used to be a very fine composer, but had broader interests. His is an original and powerful mind, and he does a lot of work in how we create, use and respond to art. Fascinating stuff - his recent artworks are specifically designed as experiments to examine how and why we human animals use art the way we do.

[h0mesch00led]

It's simple. Music exudes emotions and if you relate to those emotions, then even better.

[Charlie Monoxide]

Short answer: Music is language where words alone do not suffice.

Longer answer: It just so happens that Radio Lab (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Lab) delved deeply into this question, and you can (and SHOULD) listen to the results at this link. (http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/episodes/2006/04/21)
Great podcast!

Charlie (it's now Juiced) Monoxide

[Charlie Monoxide]

I just picked up that book yesterday to read! Review coming in a week or so.I'll race ya. I just grabbed it at the library today. I'm not a fast reader ...

Charlie (and I move my lips when reading) Monoxide

[alfaniner]

What, nobody's seen Happy Feet???