Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!van-bc!rsoft!mindlink!a739
From: a739@mindlink.UUCP (Brad Couch)
Newsgroups: comp.music
Subject: Re: Do you have to be a Musician to enjoy Music?
Message-ID: <2340@mindlink.UUCP>
Date: 4 Jul 90 01:26:41 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Lines: 32

> hm0w+@andrew.cmu.edu writes:
> 
> I don't think someone has to be a musician to "derive pleasure" from
> music, nor to say "I like that music" or "I don't like that music."
> But I do think one has to be a musician to try to rate the value of
> music or to try to rate how good the musicians are.

The only advantage in listening to music as a musician, is that you can
appreciate how difficult the piece is to play. A producer can appreciate the
quality of the production, a songwriter can appreciate the craftsmanship in the
songwriting and arrangements. An "uneducated" ear just hears music.

What is the preoccupation with "the value of music"? Is there a general
consensus that the more complex the piece or the more finely crafted the music
is, the more value it holds? Is the opinion that musicians like complex music
because of their advanced knowledge a common one? I'd be inclined to say that
some of the more intricate pieces of music around can only be appreciated by
musicians, because the music is just not appealing on any other facet other
than its complexity. In short, the piece is appreciated less on aesthetic
grounds and more because the player has to be a virtuoso. Is this really
desirable? Personally I don't think so, but there are obviously people who
disagree with this...which is of course their opinion. They're entitled to it.

The bottom line is that whether or not you are a musician, you are still
constrained by your personal opinions as to what music is good and what is
crap. Just because you might be able to play an instrument does not mean that
you are any better at judging music because it all comes down to comparing it
against your opinion....and absolutely everybody has one of those.

  - Brad

I don't have a sig. So there.