What Does Music Mean To You?
 

What does music mean to you? Is there a certain song that touches you?

I am doing this for a documentry on music, all answers will be anonymous. thanks so much!

I could never accurately explain the affect music has on me. Of course the essense of pleasure lies in an involuntary stimulation of the brain, but music is capable of expressing what words and gestures cannot. Its communicative power is infinate. It transcends the limitations of verbal language and I find that COOL, yunno?

When I hear a good piece of music, I am reminded of the beauty in the world and derive a certain comfort in the knowledge that humans are capable of creating it. I consider the ability to manipulate sound so as to stimulate the brain to be something like a gift from the gods, and thus beget my admiration for great composers, bands and artists.

It's the best and most reliable solace I have in this world in that the power of music is infinite. Words are a human actualisation, but music, infinite music, is the language of the divine. I could never explain in sensical detail what it means to me. It transcends sense. I am unworthy and incapable of explaining what music means to me.

Music means a lot to me, and in a way it actually controls my life...I was listening to Hey Jude in my car in the parking and this girl I really like just happened to pass by, I obeyed to Paul and said to her right there how I feel. I didn't get the answer I was hopping but what the hell...and this is just an example I really do allot of this. When i was really into Pink Floyd a couple of years ago I just stopped going to the university for a while cause I was like Roger is right and everything is wrong and nobody understands me and all that crazy things.

Music is a way for me to emotionally articulate myself, without saying anything verbally. Want to know WHO I am? My music tastes are a guide. Happily they are screwed up to provide a non linear guide.

Its the best controlled substance on the market period. ::bowdown:

This is an awkward question with an answer that is far more deep than I could ever hope to attempt to articulate but I'll try.

Art in general is the purest expression of the human mind. Music falls within the realm of art so music is the purest expression of the human mind. So in that respect it means a lot of things, but at the same time it can mean nothing too. For something communicative to work there must be a host and an audience. From there things get a bit muddled because while the host, the presenter of said music, is trying to express a thought, an emotion, or something else that comes from within his or her brain, we as the audience will take from it something that stems from the subjective relatibility or understanding of said expression. It is here that music has gained a secondary meaning, one which is probably vastly different than the original expression. Now consider that each individual who hears said music is an audience unto him or herself and music gains a near infinite meaning, yet no meaning what so ever to the person who doesn't understand or relate to any element of said music. In this respect music is subject to an infinite amount of subjective meaning, including the entire lack of meaning what so ever.

However, my answer won't end there. Since music is the purest expression of human thought or emotion that means the writer is capable of having an absolute meaning which he or she intended to express and you're too stupid to get. Music is capable of having an objectively expressed opinion, belief, emotion, or thought. That is to say I could write a song about Chinese economy, and that would be what the song is about objectively. However you could subjectively take the meaning to be about drinking a cup of coffee. Your subjective understanding would be far different than the actual intended expression of the song itself which is the actual objective meaning of the song.

In conclusion, music typically has an objective meaning, which would be the meaning of the song specifically, however open to subjective misinterpretations which correlate with something on your mind. However, music is also capable of being entirely subjective. It just depends on writing style. Music is capable of having an absolute meaning, an infinite number of meanings, and no meanings what so ever. Therefore music has no definitive meaning.

Finally someone with the foresight and the gift that so many of us are unfortunate to possess, the ability to forsee the way that music relates to the world as a whole. For music has always been one of our main sources of humanity that we all cherish with emotion. Unfortuantely, not all forsee and have the ability to comprehend the whole picture. Different opinions, personalties, etc.

It means almost everything to me.I cannot describe the effect it has on me nor what I'd be without it.

Better than drugs.

its ok i guess

^ ditto.

I think the way that people appreciate music has alot to do with whether they are more of a right-brained person or left brained person.....left brained people that listen to music tend to notice all the technicality that went into creating the piece and tear apart the lyrics to a point where it needs to make logical sense but right-brained people listen to lyrics and are able to interpret it in many different ways to the point where they can even get the original message that the artist themselves meant to put out there or the fact that the artist wanted it to be an opened ended message that can be viewed from different perspectives.

That's an interesting theory. I've oft pondered the differences in how people appreciate music, but I've always thought it to be more influenced by a person's upbringing and exposure to different avenues of the media. I suppose it boils down to the differences in how people appreciate anything, really. The whole left-brained right-brained thing ties in with one's psychological make-up, so it's probably most logical to attribute it to that.

music is my boyfriend
:D

Harvard Gazette: Music on the brain

Some interesting theories.

ty for that article JH

I also liked that it debunked that stupid idea of how listening to Mozart in the womb improves IQ scores. I never believed it.

Same

Music is my girlfriend. :D

The never ending rhythm of life. So it is the beat I walk to =D. Which is why I walk so fast... cause I listen to lots of fast stuff lol.

Damn, music.

It came on my face and never called me back :(

Music is... I can't speak for everybody, but when I hear good music it taps into a more emotional side of me. That was very vague, but so are the limits of sound.

well your boyfriend cheated on you with me :P

btw that's so cliche to say:rofl:

i know
i couldnt think of anything clever or creative
:(