musical musing.

[mercury_phoenix]

I think I'd like to study music.

No, I'm not having (another) sudden faculty-insecurity attack, although I understand if that's what you're thinking. I mean, I like making music, but only in an occasional "this is the talent I have with very little practice and only a theoretical understanding of the instrument at hand" sort of way. It works for me

Comments

[korrie]

I approve! Very intriguing. I wrote a paper in my high school psychology class about music therapy. I can try to find it for you, if you'd like.

[mercury_phoenix]

:) That'd be groovy, if it's not too much trouble for you to find it. I'm sitting here, thinking about all this, wondering why it didn't occur to me until recently that obviously my personal heaven would be studying music psychology.

[brutuz]

I have to say, I believe in music therapy, and using music to help people through hard times, or help mentally disabled people with learning skills etc.

But I don't know if I agree with your theory on people choosing their favourite music based on social constructs. I mean, what about those of us who don't have a favourite genre? Or those people who are say, jocks, but love opera? I mean, there's all sorts of variables to consider, including family background and history, life experiences etc. I can understand that social constructs can and do form some sort of reasoning behind musical choices, but I also think that not all of our musical loves are conscious decisions. We don't also CHOOSE what songs/bands/albums we love, we can't explain why we love them, we just do.

Just my two cents...

[mercury_phoenix]

:) That's not so much my theory as a mainstream-psychology one, but I don't think I worded it terribly well. I apparently fail and didn't use the very important words "there are a noteworthy number of exceptions," like many of the people who don't have a favourite genre (although I've met enough people who like absolutly everything put in front of them, and they have enough in common, to suspect that this, too, might occasionally be inspired by socialization). It's also really a subconcious thing -- not so much saying "I want to be in this group so I'll like country music" as it is naturally gravitating towards the ideal group and the music both (which is why you can have groups of friends with different tastes, too - the real life social circle is not always the same as the ideal). The difference between the people who follow the socialization rule vs. the people who listen to totally unexpected genres (eg. the opera lovin jock, or many of those aforementioned people whose favourites transcend genre) is the difference between people

[brutuz]

I do see your point... And it would be a very interesting paper, I'd love to read it when you do it :) (Note I said when, not if :P) Would it be somewhat like the punk movement, or the emo movement (just plucked them out of the many, not trying to single them out on purpose!!) that there is not only a music style, but it started/is/was/becomes a social term? E.g. 'Punk' music, made by 'Punks', who hang out with 'Punks', and dress like 'Punks', and are immersed in 'Punk' culture? And the same with the Emo culture of today?

I don't know if that's what you're trying to convey, but that's how I've interpreted some of it... Some of it just goes way over my head :)

[brutuz]

Oh, and I'd also like to point out that I would not touch Mick Jagger with a ten-foot barge pole, even if you paid me to!! *GAG*

[welsh_scotsman]

this is really interesting and you're probably onto something. especially with the subconscious gravitating towards that person's 'ideal' social circle, is that what you meant? and i would be really interested in reading your findings if you ever did it. i think the subconscious probably makes up for a lot of people's tastes like you stereotype someone who's quiet and well behaved and, for a lack of a better word, boring to like er...pop or clasical or whatever and then you find out they like metal; in particualr, symphonic and practically worship badns of that genre (yes i am talking about me;D) and i cant helpy wondering maybe that's that person's way of dort of rebelling almost? like they cant do it socially because they are perceived to be one thing so do it through music which is more descrete. also, maybe with the jocks or 'cool' people liking opera maybe they're cool because that's how they see society to perceive them so act that role whereas they actually genuinely like opera but listen to it in private