Music Discussion

1. Thanks for starting this thread.

2. I am going to bed now.

3. I will definitely be responding and contributing to this thread.

4. For now, it's time for me to get some sleep.

5. Stay tune.

1. It depends on the specific song.

2. I will have a different answer for each individual song.

3. Sometimes it will also depend on the specific genre of music.

The genre. Everything else follows from that. Different types of music have different "rules". If I'm listening to a string quartet I'm probably not attracted by the beat.

Orchestration attracts me — as soon as I hear a piece of ensemble playing I'm trying to visualize the individual players.

When I recognize a particular tune I'm often attracted by the arrangement, the little things the arranger does to bring out certain qualities of instrumental voice or sectional harmony.

I seldom bother to listen to lyrics and words don't attract me to a piece of music.

If I'm listening to a jazz combo, I'll be a lot more attracted to (and a lot more critical of) the sounds of the individual instruments than I would listening to a symphonic piece.

Some melodies attract me because I recognize the cadential sequence of the tune and like to hear the way the harmonies are moving to a specific conclusion. Yet other pieces attract me precisely because I don't know where the music is going or how it's going to get there.

A lot of it depends how I feel at the time — could be how I feel that day or it could be how I'm feeling that decade.

And I've only been discussing the experience of listening. Playing a piece, either by myself, in a small group, or in a concert band or orchestra is a whole different experience and the things that attract me to a piece I'm playing are much different.

Je ne sais quois. It's not one thing, it's the result of a collision of my emotional state and the jumble of facets a new piece has - there is no formula, and the only rule is I get bored easily.

I guarantee if you gave me a list of you ten favourite tracks at particular point in time they would not share all the same characteristics (at least I hope not).

Here's ten random tracks (literally, I put all tracks in a play list and hit shuffle) I've rated five stars (I'm stingy with stars) - you tell me the common thread because I can't.












As is the way with random samples - this doesn't go anywhere near the edges of my musical taste.

To paraphrase someone's definition of science fiction 'great music is that thing I'm pointing at when I point and say "that is great music"'.

I'm a music lover and I don't have a specific style that I prefer or the thing which first attracts me. My playlist can include African folk songs, Polish rap, Miley Cyrus, Ramstein, and Vivaldi. I don't understand how it can be that I like so many different compositions, but that's the reality. I try not to show anyone my musical tastes, especially its dark sides. So when I'm asked to turn on songs on my phone at parties, I say that my battery is running low, or that I have nothing, or that I've deleted everything. I come up with excuses so that only people don't look at me like I'm crazy.

I think there's a wisdom to be gained in this. I don't like exposing my eclectically stupid tastes to people, except here, unless there's a real interest. Most people have their own thing and whatever isn't that is '**** music'. Somewhere I came to realise that there is no **** music. There is music that doesn't reach you or it bores you - but you are not the sole arbiter of taste.

I have the philosophy that if someone bothered to record it it must have meant something to someone, and that's my definition of value.

sometimes the beat but most of the time lyrics. I love sad or romantic songs.

Jarvis Cocker was on Jools Holland, choosing his favourite clips from previous shows.

They played a track from Relationship of Command by At the Drive in. That’s what I’m currently listening to.