What is music, what is not?

wedoitfortheloveofmusic · 11-16-2014, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grindy

Music is organized sound. Note that randomness might be a form of organisation and silence might be a form of sound. Of course there must be an intention to make music. If I deliberately belch three times in equal intervals then it's not automatically music. Except if I do that with a musical intention. Then it is music. Not necessarily good and interesting music though.

Generally I noticed, that people mostly resort to the "that's not music" argument to denounce music they simply don't like. I think that's a strange way of thinking. You don't have to categorize things to not like them.

Well this is pretty much what I was going to say. Music is music whether you like it or not. I've heard this same argument for pretty much every genre of music from rock n' roll, hiphop, to edm. Just because you don't like it, doesn't make it any less music...Just not your preference.

Black Francis · 11-16-2014, 12:32 PM

I personally draw the line somewhere but i don't have the audacity to tell ppl where they should draw theirs.

I draw the line in ambient music an in certain cases, for exmpl a guy breaking jars in a room with cool echo might be to some ppl music but to me it's just a guy breaking jars.

However nonsensical reverbing human voices to me become music even if they're not singing and are alone.
If that very guy had recited something or even screamed in agony and it was captured in the right ambience i would call it music.

Machine · 11-16-2014, 07:11 PM

Like it was said in the video I posted the question really shouldn't be is this music, the question should be is it interesting.

**Frownland** · 11-21-2014, 09:31 PM

To open up the discussion again, what do you guys think about 4'33 by John Cage?

Mondo Bungle · 11-21-2014, 09:51 PM

I've never found a good enough version. Audio always blows. Most of the time I don't even hear anything.

Chula Vista · 11-21-2014, 09:54 PM

Music = Food

Subsistence.

I like baked haddock.

Somebody else likes live eel.

It's all good.

Mondo Bungle · 11-21-2014, 09:56 PM

But on the real, I don't consider that one music. Music to me is sound. I find 4'33 to be an artistic statement, allowing you to find and appreciate the music surrounding us, but not music itself, at least in my eyes.

Brad Stengel · 11-21-2014, 10:02 PM

THE ONLY TRUE MUSIC IS LOU REED'S "METAL MACHINE MUSIC"

But in all seriousness, if somebody, anybody is willing to call something music, I'm willing to assume that they're correct. It's all a matter of subjectivity anyway, we all know this.

Ninetales · 11-21-2014, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

To open up the discussion again, what do you guys think about 4'33 by John Cage?

Thank you, you rule. I need to write an essay on this next month and am still on the fence. I've always thought it was music, based on a pretty liberal view of "whatever you think is music is music". Don't know if it holds up tho. Could probably write a thousand words either way.

Tl; dr I don't have a god damn clue

Brad Stengel · 11-21-2014, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ninetales

Thank you, you rule. I need to write an essay on this next month and am still on the fence. I've always thought it was music, based on a pretty liberal view of "whatever you think is music is music". Don't know if it holds up tho. Could probably write a thousand words either way.

Tl; dr I don't have a god damn clue

You could say even using the "organized sound" definition, that it's just as, if not more organized than what most people consider music. Organizing silence can be more difficult.

11-16-2014, 12:32 PM	#152 (permalink)
Black Francis Out of Place Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: in an abstract house Posts: 4,111	I personally draw the line somewhere but i don't have the audacity to tell ppl where they should draw theirs. I draw the line in ambient music an in certain cases, for exmpl a guy breaking jars in a room with cool echo might be to some ppl music but to me it's just a guy breaking jars. However nonsensical reverbing human voices to me become music even if they're not singing and are alone. If that very guy had recited something or even screamed in agony and it was captured in the right ambience i would call it music. __________________ "Hey Kids you got to meet the MIGHTY PIXIES!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbRbCtIgW3A

11-16-2014, 07:11 PM	#153 (permalink)
Machine moon lake inc. Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Detroit Posts: 2,125	Like it was said in the video I posted the question really shouldn't be is this music, the question should be is it interesting. __________________ boost my ego listen to me stroke my delay pedal ever wanted to hear death grips songs... but they're acoustic? me neither.

11-21-2014, 09:31 PM	#154 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,548	To open up the discussion again, what do you guys think about 4'33 by John Cage? __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x

11-21-2014, 09:54 PM	#156 (permalink)
Chula Vista Toasted Poster Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: SoCal by way of Boston Posts: 11,332	Music = Food Subsistence. I like baked haddock. Somebody else likes live eel. It's all good. __________________ “The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well, on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be.”

11-21-2014, 10:02 PM	#158 (permalink)
Brad Stengel This Space for Rent Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 815	THE ONLY TRUE MUSIC IS LOU REED'S "METAL MACHINE MUSIC" But in all seriousness, if somebody, anybody is willing to call something music, I'm willing to assume that they're correct. It's all a matter of subjectivity anyway, we all know this. __________________ These is the musics I own: http://rateyourmusic.com/collection/BradStengel/oo