What's the point of music? Ask Peter Gabriel

[P. G. Tipps]

Life is full of mystery with so many unanswered questions. If we knew all the answers to all the questions there would be no point to this forum, for a start. (God forbid!)

Indeed, one may as well ask 'what is the point of life itself ?' ...

As for the point of music, some of our more eagle-eyed members might find the simple answer below ...

[ahinton]

Life is full of mystery with so many unanswered questions. If we knew all the answers to all the questions there would be no point to this forum, for a start. (God forbid!)

Indeed, one may as well ask 'what is the point of life itself ?' ...

As for the point of music, some of our more eagle-eyed members might find the simple answer below ...

One might ask what is the point of The Unanswered Question...

[ahinton]

The "meaning" of music must surely change from age to age, and from social system to social system? What music meant to the peasantry in Mediaeval Germany would have been different to hunter-gatherers in the Iron Age, and from today's consumer.

Indeed so - the "meaning" of it and accordingly the "point" of it; this is surely as inevitable as those changes themselves and is reflected in changes in the music itself.

[P. G. Tipps]

One might ask what is the point of The Unanswered Question...

That's easy, it simply confirms our shared human ignorance, ahinton ...

[MrGongGong]

.

As for the point of music, some of our more eagle-eyed members might find the simple answer below ...

Apricot jam on pancakes

[Beef Oven!]

There are more questions than answers and the more I find out the less I know.

[Nick Armstrong]

Life is full of mystery with so many unanswered questions. If we knew all the answers to all the questions there would be no point to this forum, for a start. (God forbid!)

Indeed, one may as well ask 'what is the point of life itself ?' ...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Tennis, Cricket, Golf, Soccer, Medicine, Rugby, Ping-Pong ...

Well, if Leonard (Young Peoples' Concerts, Harvard Lectures, Infinite Variety of Music, Joy of Music, documentary films on Mahler, Shostakovich and others) Bernstein is going to talk a load of balls, I thought I'd add my own selection.

[jean]

...the very fact that music can affect the emotions of the listener (as you have yourself agreed to be the case) is surely in some way suggestive of its inherent manipulative powers?

I thought we might get somewhere with this, but it seems we've elected to go for the platitudes instead (thanks to Scruton and Bernstein)...

[MrGongGong]

I thought we might get somewhere with this, but it seems we've elected to go for the platitudes instead (thanks to Scruton and Bernstein)...

Try this

http://books.simonandschuster.com/The-Secret-Power-of-Music/David-Tame/9780892810567

[jean]

You mean the man who wrote this?

..."Music can change metabolism, affect the strength of the muscles, raise or lower blood pressure, and influence digestion"...

[Nick Armstrong]

Tennis, Cricket, Golf, Soccer, Medicine, Rugby, Ping-Pong ...

Well, if Leonard (Young Peoples' Concerts, Harvard Lectures, Infinite Variety of Music, Joy of Music, documentary films on Mahler, Shostakovich and others) Bernstein is going to talk a load of balls, I thought I'd add my own selection.

There is indeed much (and many balls) in what you say!

At the same time, it must be said that I find music is much better listened to and more clearly heard without one's head up one's a***

----- Caliban -----

[Beef Oven!]

I thought we might get somewhere with this, but it seems we've elected to go for the platitudes instead (thanks to Scruton and Bernstein)...

What about Johnny Nash?

[MrGongGong]

You mean the man who wrote this?

..."Music can change metabolism, affect the strength of the muscles, raise or lower blood pressure, and influence digestion"...

Yes...

It was meant as a joke

It's a fine piece of pseudoscience

[jean]

Yes...

It was meant as a joke

That's a relief - one's never sure with you.

What about Johnny Nash?

Nothing whatever to do with manipulation (unless I'm missing something).