Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id MAA12157 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 9 Jul 2001 12:49:02 +0100 From: Philip Jonkers <P.A.E.Jonkers@phys.rug.nl> X-Authentication-Warning: rugth1.phys.rug.nl: www-data set sender to jonkers@localhost using -f To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Music !! Message-ID: <994679173.3b4999853cc68@www-th.phys.rug.nl> Date: Mon, 09 Jul 2001 13:46:13 +0200 (CEST) References: <000c01c1078d$1635eae0$fe03bed4@default> <002901c107fc$e3dc4060$b1bcfac1@necdirect> In-Reply-To: <002901c107fc$e3dc4060$b1bcfac1@necdirect> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit User-Agent: IMP/PHP IMAP webmail program 2.2.5 X-Originating-IP: 129.125.13.2 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> To be more serious, I think liking classical music merely requires
> training, and it adresses maybe less emotional, more
> intellectual functions of the brain.
> Like Lou Reed said :
> 'I guess I'm just dumb, cause I knows I ain't smart
> But deep down inside, I got a rock'n'roll heart'.
The way I see it, mostly you pick up preference
to some kinds of music by imitating the musical
choices of your friends. At first you may not like it too much.
But sometimes it's like beer, the taste of which
typically is not appreciated initially too. One learns to like
the taste of beer after rather long periods of drinking practise.
After all, your friends drink and you don't want to
lag behind. Music sometimes also requires this kind of memetic
`pushing'. That's how the people in charge of determining
the pop charts push their choices onto teenagers.
Thegap between the taste of music of generations cannot be
explained genetically. If it would, than basically I would
like the same kinds of music as my parents, or at least one of
them. Luckily, I do not. Although I have to confess that I do
like some of the genres they like, the difference in taste
on the whole is very significant. This discrepancy can,
as far as I know, only be explained memetically.
In a nutshell: the previous generation was exposed to
different kinds of music-memes than ours in the formative
years of music. With the formative years I mean, the period
responsible for memetically developing rudimentary
predispositions to certain styles of music of oneself (the
teenage years). I do acknowledge, however, that the likes for
musical genres, bands or whatever, is time-dependent.
On music addressing intellectual functions:
I would not say that classical music addresses more intellectual
functions of the brain. Rather, classical music demands more
of the emotional sensitivity of the brain. Intellectuals like
classical music because typically they are sensitive. I
sense a strong correlation here.
To become sufficiently sensitive to the subtle and sophisticated
structure of classical music might require repeated exposure
(training, as you put it) if one is used to hearing music of
the opposite nature, such as heavy metal, techno and stuff
like that. So on the contrary, I would not say classical music
less emotional, rather it's more subtle than other popular
musics possibly requiring high degrees of memetic exposure.
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