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Has education expanded your listening tastes?

This point recently came up in another thread: a member was of the opinion (if I am paraphrasing them correctly) that critical thinking plays little role in what our tastes in music might be. We like what we like and that's it. So that begs the question for me, how many of us feel that our reaction to music is primarily rooted in the emotional centers of the brain and that rational analysis of musical structure and language doesn't potentially expand our range of musical enjoyment? I ask because I am not a professional musician, but I did take a few college level music history classes, learn to play guitar in my forties (now sixty,) learn to read music on a rudimentary level of competence, study a little music theory, and enjoy reading historical biographies about composers and musicians. I can honestly say that the in the last fifteen years or so, I have greatly expanded what types of music I enjoy and that I can appreciate music I might not "love" in the emotional sense that used to dictate what I listen to. Take Berg, Schoenberg, and Webern for example. Their music doesn't sweep you away with the emotional majesty of earlier composers, but I find their intellectual rigor and organization to be fascinating and very enjoyable. Same with studying the history of American roots music, I learned a lot about our cultural history and enjoy listening to old blues and country music now. How do other's feel about this emotion vs. learning to appreciate thing?
photon46
pgawan2b
122 posts
 
Yes, I think so. I am an amateur musician with no formal training in theory or history. I played my horn in a few ensembles back in college but that was the extent of my formal music education. The difference for me was one college professor who, over the space of four years, consistently introduced us to different styles of music. Some of it I liked, others of it I didn't. Fast forward a few years...I was fortunate enough to be invited to play in a local community swing band. The director, also an educator, arranged most of our music and was responsible for the play list. Similar to my professor in college, he routinely arranged (some times composed) new pieces for us and gave us a variety of styles.

Schubert, what a concert! Ravel's Bolero and a Tchaikovsky symphony in the same concert performed by the San Fransisco Symphany? Wow!

One final comment. I wonder if there is an additional component to this; live performances. In our digital age, I think we have largely forgotten the significance of the experience of a live performance by great performers performing great pieces. To me there is a difference between listening to a replay of music and experiencing the making of music.
schubert
7,386 posts
 
Map, very well put !

Pagwan2b, you hit the nail a mighty blow right on the head.
Qualities emerge in human gatherings that are not present in any one individual, both good and bad.
When we are in the presence of a great soul, like a Rostropovich leading us towards the light, it is literally divine.
papermill's avatar
papermill
80 posts
 
An interesting read:
"This Is Your Brain On Music" by Daniel Levitin - the science of a human obsession. The discussion addresses both our emotional and intellectual need for music. Pretty fascinating and recommend.
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
7,859 posts
 
*****Rok2id, I presume you've tried Berg's op. 1 piano sonata, his Lyric Suite and his violin concerto and found them lacking?******

I do not own anything by Berg, except LULU. I did not like LULU, but I may grow into it later. So I am not in any way being critical of Berg.

I did find a youtube of his piano sonata op. 1, played by Hamelin. I did not find it lacking. But on the same page I found him playing Liszt and Mendelssohn, which I liked better.

You guys all seem to be well versed in classical music, so can anyone explain the DIFFERENCE between the old stuff and 20th Century Classical music. Why does it sound different. What changed?

The Berg piece: I could not detect or distinguish the beginning the middle or the end. If he had played the music in reverse order, I am not sure I would have noticed. Of course this could all be a result of my musical limitations.. Maybe I just don't have the ear for the intellectual aspect of the music.

Cheers
rja's avatar
rja
2,374 posts
 
Education can definitely expand your musical tastes but it can also be done on ones own if motivated.

I took violin lessons when I was very young and had a required classical music class in college so although I can't say I gained an appreciation I was at least open to it. When I finally heard Mozart's Piano Concerto 21 I realized I needed to explore the whole genre further.

Not sure where my interest in jazz stems from as I have absolutely no background. I guess for me it was a giant step. 8^)

But deep down I'm a rock'n'roller. Formal education had nothing to do with it, it was simply the soundtrack of my life.
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