On 22/10/2009 23:25, "William Conger" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Subject matter is neither profound nor banal. It just is. Content is a > different matter. > wc I have been following this reading on the sidelines, and now take up something of the challenge. Chris Millar has taken the time to present, summarise key ideas within Kivy's book, and I appreciate that. But the responses have been much like the above, or as breezily stated it: > IT'S in the eye,ear,nose of individual and like minded ones. > Not new, but so true. So relax and enjoy. I recall taking issue with this level of aesthetic before, and still do. Chris has attempted to give some reason, substance to these sorts of responses to music, in terms of profundity and attempted to distinguish the adverb from the adjective to align profundity with content. If this is way off mark, surely there must be some reason other than solipsistic attacks for concluding that; a multitude of individuals do not provide a multitude of reasonings, even solipsism is a shared philosophy and assessment of what is, and what is worthy or not. An individual can enjoy or dislike or think something is profound or not, but reasons for such responses being communicated are perhaps more worthy in being communicated as is the music that elicits them. I will take another approach now, and say that content seems to imply something added to, probably that is not essential, music. Perhaps this comes too when the idea of words are added. Surely music itself is a content? That can have profundity in itself without having to rely on other than itself. Music, sound, the sound world is part and parcel of our human existence and experience; as we profoundly explore other realms of our mental and physical being so we do the world of sound and what it informs us of the world, and how it impact upon us as sensual, physical beings. Sound, music can have significant impact on our thoughts and emotions; surely we should be interested in why, how, and whatever of some music affecting us more profoundly and more stirringly than others? I think so, and saying simply sit back and enjoy stops the conversation there as we all sit back to enjoy. But we joined this list to discuss, not to sit back in the wafts of our own smoke. I am not sure what I have written engages with Chris's comments as I hope it would, but I also say thank you for your efforts Chris. Toodle-pip, Allan.
