What is Musicality?

OK, I am again reminded of why I became a musician instead of a writer. Kijanki and Jax2, my statement "as professionals our much deeper knowledge of the music gives us much more pleasure in listening to a great performance" was not at all intended the way you and some others here took it. It was not at all meant to be read as a comparative statement that musicians take more pleasure from music than others do. Onhwy61 put it much better than I did. I was simply referring to the fact that the greater understanding and comprehension add to our own pleasure when we listen. I guess I see how you could take it the way you did, but that is not at all what i meant, I assure you. I was not trying to engage in oneupsmanship. While on this topic, I should add that much of this knowledge and understanding is easily acquired by non-professionals if they want to take the time required. I have often advocated on this site for more audiophiles to take a formal ear-training course, or study some basic music theory. It will only add to anyone's enjoyment of the music, no matter what type of music it is that you listen to.

Newbee also put my main point very well, as he so often does: "But folks, music, soul, whatever you want to call it, is only found in the composition and the performance, not in your audio systems!"

To Bryon's excellent comments I would only add that expertise and appreciation are not mutually exclusive, not that you were suggesting they were. Sometimes it is difficult for professionals to enjoy recordings of their own playing for some of the reasons you suggest. Some orchestral musicians have a hard time listening to orchestral music at home for pleasure after a hard day's or night's work (it is indeed hard to "turn off" the critical ear), and only listen to jazz or rock at home. Others get burned out on the standard rep that we all have to practice so much. We very rarely have any control at all over what we are paid to play, so it can at times seem like drudgery. One of the main reasons I listen, in fact, is to keep my sanity, and keep my love for music alive and well, which in turn makes me a better musician. I truly appreciate and am grateful for the fact that I am making my living doing what I most love to do.

As far as Kijanki's statement that "quality of gear is inversely proportional to musical education and involvement," this cannot be taken seriously. I'm sure there are many who decide only to have their iPod (I personally do not know a single professional that only relies on a boom box, this would usually only be true of students, and just about all of them have iPods nowadays as well). There are many more musicians that do care about high-end audio than you imply, however. In fact, the very best two or three systems I have ever heard were assembled by professional musicians, and I would also say that the percentage of musicians with at least some high-end audio equipment is probably higher than almost any other profession, despite the fact that most of us don't make a whole lot. Economics is another big reason more musicians don't have the best equipment - the vast majority of us simply can't afford much of the gear talked about/sold on this site, even at used prices. But just because many do not personally own high-end gear does not mean they do not appreciate it when they hear it. We just would never place gear above the music, as many calling themselves audiophiles do.

Kijanki and Jax2, my statement "as professionals our much deeper knowledge of the music gives us much more pleasure in listening to a great performance" was not at all intended the way you and some others here took it.

I was not responding specifically to your statement, but yes, generally to that sentiment being discussed. I had read yours as well as several others that followed it. I did not mean to single anybody out in particular as several folks made comments on the same subject.

As a further comment on some of what you've added here;

I was simply referring to the fact that the greater understanding and comprehension add to our own pleasure when we listen.

It could most certainly add to it, and I do understand you are speaking from direct experience. But, depending on the individual and the circumstance, it could just as easily distract from it or detract from it. I've known a a few folks over the years who took something they had tremendous passion for, that they did simply for the love of it, and then turned that thing into a career. In many cases they lost the passion they once had for it in shifting their motivations. That is just one simplistic example, which you touch upon yourself indirectly in your further statements. I definitely do not think that a deep understanding of any particular subject will necessarily mean the capacity to enjoy that pursuit is enhanced. It could just as easily detract from something as primal as the enjoyment of music. I find that when it comes to things that are highly emotionally charged, like music, the more my 'head' comes into play, the further I get from being in the moment and enjoying the emotions that do arise. I expect such things are as individual as fingerprints though. I do appreciate hearing about your own personal experience and observations of others in your field. BTW - your writing skills are just fine - I've certainly enjoyed your posts.

Onhwy61, "understand/comprehend" connote an intellectual or cerebral attitude toward music appreciation. I am not using the word appreciation in this way at all. I use the word appreciate to mean the ability to enjoy. Different people enjoy music in different ways. Men are naturally more cogitators than women. This is a psychologically observable fact that has been noted by many famous people in the field of psychology and psychiatry including Carl Jung. Have you noticed how your sister, mother, girlfriend, female friends or wife often appreciate music differently? Because women function primarily on the "feeling level" and not on the "thinking level" they tend to appreciate music on the feeling level, not on the cerebral level -- in most cases, unless they are musicians or unless there is a specific aspect of the music's reproduction that stands out and cannot go unnoticed, such as harshness in the high frequencies or a boom in the bass frequencies that may grate on the ears and "interfere" with one's ability to appreciate the music as a whole. Dissecting a musical piece and focusing on one or more of its constituent parts is not the same kind of listening that I am referring to when I use the word appreciate. For me, understanding or comprehending a piece of music technically is not at all the same thing as appreciating it or feeling it in its wholeness.

Tiggerfc, I agree with you completely.

Sabai

Tiggerfc - I loved "Once" and would heartily second your recommendation to see it. What do you think of their recent release together under "Swell Season"? I have yet to warm up to it vs the soundtrack which I do really enjoy.

One more film that speaks to the some of this, in some way (there are certainly many, but indulge me this one more because upon seeing it I would rank in my top 10 films of all time): The Swedish film, "As it is in Heaven". Ten stars is not enough for this film - this one goes to eleven! That's one more than ten! If you love music, do not pass go, run, don't walk, see this movie!

One of the interesting bits brought up in the great book pointed out by Hellofidelity (This is Your Brain on Music) is about the history of music in civilization. Briefly, and paraphrasing, he points out that it is only a very modern day development where musicians are considered another breed, and talent in music has become a matter of elevated (arguably distorted) prestige in society. He goes on to point out in days long past, in most cultures, music was a given as common and expected as perhaps ones ability to drive a car might be today. Much like in some tribal cultures, a few that still survive today, music (and dance) are tightly interwoven into the culture and enjoyed and practiced practically from birth to death. For one to not participate in that, to those people, is completely shocking. So it was more common in western civilization hundreds of years ago - or at least much closer to that model. Elevating musicians (and performers) to levels of celebrity is a recent manifestation of modern culture, says Levitin. Anyone who's spent any time with "celebrities" knows that, in spite of their talents, they are simply ordinary people with both good qualities and bad, just as flawed as any of us, and who put their pants on one leg at a time just like any of us do. Some are extraordinary people and some are rather plain, and some are complete A%$holes (and everything in between)....just like the rest of the population. I really resist any statements that infer such things as, "most zookeepers love dogs." Really, what's the point, even if it were true?

What I was awkwardly trying to get at in some of my remarks was that I really do enjoy when people share their personal experiences - it's fascinating to see how widely varied we all are. But I do find that I am pushed away when I get the sense that someone sees the world through blinders and tries to fit everything into pigeon holes, and especially when judgments become involved elevating one person above another, or making broad generalizations about some particular group whether it be professional musicians or women, or audiophiles (I'm not saying that's what anyone IS trying to do here, but I have got that sense from some of the conversation, whether deliberate/intended or not). There is nothing to be gained in such a scenario, from my perspective. Again, I am not pointing to any one person's comments here... but these are general responses to the (ridiculous) sub-topic that seems to have arisen here of who appreciates music more, and what ways can one appreciate music more. To me, that's like someone telling me that they have a way that I can enjoy chocolate cake even more by learning about the way it is made, or by standing on my head while I eat it, or by eating only one particular kind, etc. Hey, I don't mind hearing what works for you - I rather enjoy it, and I do revel in your passion shared, and do very much appreciate that you take the time and energy to share them. But when someone else assumes that something that works for them will necessarily work for me and everyone else....well, it's kind of like having some religious belief shoved down your throat. For me personally, I really don't want to question why I enjoy music, or wine, or cake. I don't need to understand or comprehend it on any other level than I already do...I'd just like to continue to enjoy it without my head getting in the way (as I mentioned, it is prone to do that once in a while). I admit, I'd consider myself a simple kind of person in this way. For me my head does not add to my enjoyment of such things, to the contrary, it gets in the way. Musicality ends when my head becomes involved - I realize that's just one experience among many and that there are other possibilities.