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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
schubert
7,386 posts
 
You would have to be dead to go to a thousand Classical concerts and not grasp how hard it is for and on a performer.
Any human can grasp anything human if they wish to expand the time and effort of mind and heart to do so. As Blake said, "the world in a grain of sand" .

I've done 50 mile forced marches carrying 70 pounds packs and a ten pound rifle in 100 degree temperatures and poured
an inch of blood out of my boots at the end . Thats hard.
I do not doubt you can grasp that just from that sentence.

When I said 2 semesters of Music History ,I really wanted to say 24 Semesters .

I totally disagree with you and Ellington, IMO Classical Music
is the absolute apex of Western Civilization and no other genre can begin to approach the greatness of something like Bach's Mass in B Minor.

I may have to move to Japan where they agree with me.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,397 posts
 
"Classical Music
is the absolute apex of Western Civilization "

I've always tended to think of it that way as well.

Thing is music is more than that. Its something that most everyone can relate to in some way regardless of how civilized or not they might be.

Understanding that aspect of it as well helps diversify ones musical tastes. There is learning involved in that as well.
schubert
7,386 posts
 
Nope, you want to be uplifted or you don't.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,397 posts
 
True, but you have to walk before you can run.

Only a few ways to be the fastest or best but many paths are available to help get there. Where one starts from is a big consideration. PEople start from different places. That's part of the history aspect that only makes things more interesting!

ANd even the best runners still decide to take a nap or just walk slowly from time to time.....

Plus, Bach or Beethoven should sound even more illustrious when the opening act they follow say is Abba, The Black Eyed Peas, AC/DC, or say even Hank Williams.

Personally, I would enjoy each most likley on their own terms for different reasons, some of which have nothing to do with higher thougts or forms or being civilized. That's just my perspective though. Reality is everyone has their own when it comes to music, even if intellectually we may all strongly suspect that all paths eventually lead to the same place (or two maybe), given enough time. For some, toe tapping alone might = heaven.

I will say that in the end time tells all. That Bach still sits so well so many years after the fact speaks for itself and makes a strong case for him being the overall champion at least at this point in time.
schubert
7,386 posts
 
Walk before you run?
Ain't going to win many races starting from a swamp.

Germany, like the USA, has no shortage of ignorant people.
If I ask the recovering addict, 8th grade drop-out painting
my room in WI if he listens to Beethoven the reply likely will be, I don't listen to that crap.
If I ask the 8th grade drop-out recovering addict in Germany painting my room ,who knows no more about LvB than his american counterpart, the reply will likely be ahh, Beethoven , a great man.
Makes a LOT of difference.
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