This article by Boghossian looks at the live music experience as an emotional journey for the audience memebr, a journey where rationality is lost, the physiology behind these experiences and the psychology of the audience member.

Boghossian explains that on one hand our body will respond physiologically to the stimulus of a sound vibration passing through the air, into our ear drum, stimulating our auditory nerve and interacting with the brain. As music or sound travels in nerons, it can often interact with other nerons inside our brain which will promote a positive or sometimes negative experience.

From this explanation, Boghossian argues that if this is the only response, the body’s response to music is simlar to the body’s response to a drug.

However, he argues that it is more than this, with Boghossian explainning that a loss of rationality occurrs for the audience member, which assists the experience we come to relate with music.

Kivvy, explains in this article that we are moved not simply by our physiology, but by the shear brilliance of the musical experience, we are moved he argues, by the craftsmanship, and the artistic beauty of the musicians.

Boghossian adds to this point by examing the meaning behind music for a lot of people, which can be either representational or expressive. Boghossiann also argues that we place meaning on certain songs, musical compositions, albums due to our past experiences/interactions with them.

In conclusion this a very helpful article in articulating the deeper meaning behind music, and important for the analysis of the live experience.

Check it Out!

 

Reference:http://philosophy.fas.nyu.edu/docs/IO/1153/explainingmusical.pdf