Re: CONSTRAINT OF RANDOMNESS

[Michael Firman <maf@mlswebworks.com>]

Per,

I think you have hit on something here. People listen (remember) music 
not just as
"data" (i.e. the notes, rhythm, texture, etc.) but as a whole 
collection of things (thoughts,
feelings, the ambience of the place and situation, etc.). Our memory is 
associative, that
is, we store the information about events in various location of our 
brain. Those locations
have different functions (some areas are pure data storage while others 
control emotions).
We formulate our opinions about pieces of music by our feelings at the 
time (or times) we
hear them as well as by the actual musical form. Layered on top of this 
is the information
content of the music (as someone pointed out, we seem to prefer a 
"balanced" information
content - not too much but also not too little). I guess we can't do 
much about the context
in which the music is heard (i.e. how it is imprinted) but we can 
control the information
content.

Come to think of it, controlling the context is exactly what high 
production techniques (as
used in rock videos and big stage shows) attempts (and often 
successfully) to do. You see
Brittany moving seductively while singing a song and thereafter, 
whenever
you hear that same music, you have this warm feeling.

On Dec 3, 2004, at 6:00 PM, Per Boysen wrote:

> On Dec 4, 2004, at 0:47, Brian Hamlin wrote:
>
>> Most people's interest in musc has little to do with music & more to 
>> do
>> with fashion/peer pressure/ artist's apparent association with
>> listener's concerns etc. Don't you ever suspect that only other musos
>> LISTEN to MUSIC?
>> I've been to recent Mannring/Lawson gigs & the Cambridge Loop 
>> festival,
>> and suspect these events were populated by bass players, loopers and
>> Brides of the Loop.
>>
>> My suspicion is that MOST people, don't even LISTEN to music.
>
>
> I suspect you are right. However, although they may not listen they 
> are definitely moved by the music in an emotional way.
>
> Greetings from Sweden
>
> Per Boysen
> ---
> http://www.looproom.com (international)
> http://www.boysen.se (Swedish site)
> http://www.cdbaby.com/perboysen
>
>
>
--
| Michael A. Firman
| maf@mlswebworks.com
| http://www.mlswebworks.com