Why do we listen to music? - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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Bob Greece View Drop Down

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Topic: Why do we listen to music?
Posted: September 07 2006 at 10:20

Why do we listen to music?

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/culturevulture/archives/2006/09/07/is_music_the_fo.html

"it enables men to seduce women"

so why do we listen to prog then

Raff

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Posted: September 07 2006 at 10:28

And who tells you that prog can't be used as an instrument of seduction? Wink

I know that most of what passes off as music in the charts would never work with me, so... Wink

WaywardSon View Drop Down

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Posted: September 07 2006 at 10:37

What complete garbage!

My wife can´t stand Hendrix! <img

I read another article the other day that said Led Zeppelin´s music was aimed at the crotch and Deep Purple´s music was aimed at the mind!

Edited by WaywardSon - September 07 2006 at 10:37

Ricochet

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Posted: September 07 2006 at 10:46

Music stimulates the same part of the brain that responds to food and sex, which is, of course, what anyone who's into music wants to hear.

O RLY?!

nah, this is nothing substantial. Examples like Barry White, Tom Jones or Jimi Hendrix can't possibly be up for a generalization.

(maybe I should make an experiment on my parents..... Shocked

)

Jim Garten View Drop Down

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Posted: September 07 2006 at 10:48

Bob Greece wrote:

Why do we listen to music?

Well, Duh!

So's we can argue on this website, of course.

Jeez - the questions some people ask...

Jon Lord 1941 - 2012

JrKASperov View Drop Down

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Posted: September 07 2006 at 11:12

Well we couldn't go on and see or touch music can we. Music is just this thing, that has to be experienced with the ears, you know.

Tongue

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mystic fred View Drop Down

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Posted: September 07 2006 at 11:30

Bob Greece wrote:

Why do we listen to music?

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/culturevulture/archives/2006/09/07/is_music_the_fo.html

"it enables men to seduce women"

so why do we listen to prog then

"But Miller has nothing to say about the opposite scenario - girls using music to have their way with boys. Yet it certainly happens. "

...oh yes it certainly does!!! generally, but not exclusively, women are orientated by DANCE. Ever taken a girl to a dance.....there has been nothing more erotic than watching a woman dance or dance with you since time immemorial, they love dressing up to the nines for this, and how do you think those lap-dancing, pole dancing or strip clubs have managed to prosper all these years? Also many Women love listening to romantic pop music and playing Classical music, which is very romantic, though many male Composers such as Beethoven and Bruckner were unlucky in love. In many levels of society unmarried people were only allowed to touch each other during a dance.

Incidentally this reminds me of a funny story, when i left school in 1969 we had an end of term dance with the local girls' school in our school hall, and later in the evening some couples "disappeared" off into the darkened classrooms right under the noses of the unwitting teachers, we kids knew what was going on, and i heard one of the teachers say " i think the children are dancing too closely", so those of us who were still on the dance floor were duly ordered to keep at least a foot apart....if they only knew what was going on in the classrooms!!!

i agree with the article, music touches the brain's pleasure zones, and how many guys learned to play guitar music to "get girls", quite a few of them i would think, but that reason got lost in their enthusiasm for the love of music and forgotten, many happily settled with a partner but still played and developed their music, maybe becoming Prog musicians, they loved it and they earned a good living from it. I never understood why Barry White, the " Walrus of Luuuurrrve" had such an effect on Women of course, i'd have to be a woman to know that!

Edited by mystic fred - September 07 2006 at 11:35

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aapatsos

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Posted: September 07 2006 at 11:30

Ghost Rider wrote:

And who tells you that prog can't be used as an instrument of seduction? Wink

I know that most of what passes off as music in the charts would never work with me, so... Wink

I could not convince my girlfriend to listen to prog...

tried with softies like Floyd and Camel, but no luck...

so i'ts certain that prog is no seduction tool

VanderGraafKommandöh View Drop Down

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Posted: September 07 2006 at 12:32

Try some Rod Stewart, aapatsos! Wink

Raff

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Posted: September 07 2006 at 12:43

mystic fred wrote:

MF, would you believe that Barry White has no effect whatsoever on me, except perhaps that of making me somewhat sick? LOL

And you've seen from my picture that I'm quite a normal woman, not covered in warts, or with three legs, two heads or anything like that... Wink

aapatsos

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Posted: September 07 2006 at 12:45

Geck0 wrote:

Try some Rod Stewart, aapatsos! Wink

Good one Geck0

(in fact she likes Bryan Adams

)

Edited by aapatsos - September 07 2006 at 12:45

tardis

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Posted: September 07 2006 at 14:50

Music is good for the soul...but not in all cases!! Some music makes your essence shrivel in fear and disgust... LOL

sleeper

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Posted: September 07 2006 at 14:53

tardis wrote:

Music is good for the soul...but not in all cases!! Some music makes your essence shrivel in fear and disgust... LOL

This is probably the best answere weve had.

Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005

mystic fred View Drop Down

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Posted: September 07 2006 at 15:31

Ghost Rider wrote:

mystic fred wrote:

MF, would you believe that Barry White has no effect whatsoever on me, except perhaps that of making me somewhat sick? LOL

And you've seen from my picture that I'm quite a normal woman, not covered in warts, or with three legs, two heads or anything like that... Wink

sorry GR I was generalising about BW a bit there wasn't I, but i can understand why Jimi Hendrix was such a hit with the girls, he was one of those rare people who was adored by women and admired by men, and after all these years he's still cooooool!

BTW yes i did see your picture ....you do look perfectly normal but who was the wizard fellow....???.

PS congratulations on your promotion...very well deserved!

Edited by mystic fred - September 07 2006 at 15:31

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Peter

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Posted: September 07 2006 at 18:02

Ghost Rider wrote:

mystic fred wrote:

MF, would you believe that Barry White has no effect whatsoever on me, except perhaps that of making me somewhat sick? LOL

And you've seen from my picture that I'm quite a normal woman, not covered in warts, or with three legs, two heads or anything like that...

Damn -- there goes THAT cherished fantasy, then! Ouch

(

But if you had three legs, you'd probably have two....)

Anyway, I imagine it's White's deep, "sympathetic-vibration"-producing voice that stirs so many of the ladies, no?

BTW. GR, have you heard that clip of the death metal vocalist here yet? Does that sort of thing make you hot?

*******************************************************************************

I think subconciously, and in terms of our evolution, that we like music because we have a heartbeat (ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom), and because we gravitate toward symmetry and patterns....

Also, so much emotion that cannot be adequately put into words can be distilled into the heart-felt, soul-stirring sound of an instrument. A simple lyric may not move me, when read in isolation, but back it with that crying guitar or violin....

It speaks directly to the soul, the emotions, the passions, our instinctive animal component (and yes, sometimes the hips & naughty bits, too -- that rhythm thing again), not the intellect.

Think of the ritualistic/religious chanting some cultures engage in -- it can put you in a trance. Think also of African drumming and dancing, and how integral the pounding drums are to invoking the voodoo trance state, etc. Think how important background "mood" music is in movies.There is something very elemental, animalistic and ancient there, which can take us out of our rational selves.

(Still, though I've said it speaks to our "animal" nature, animals don't seem to get very much out of it -- again, the "mathematical" brain that detects patterns, etc, is needed for full effect, I think, so I guess it targets both of our essential aspects, instinct/passion and intellect/reason. (But mainly the former.)

In any case, music is very powerful stuff, and we just seem to be "wired" to respond to it.

Why do some of us care so much more about it, and respond so much more intensely than others? I thing early, frequent and pleasurable exposure has a lot to do with that. I'll bet that the vast majority of us heard lots of music at home as kids.

Edited by Peter Rideout - September 07 2006 at 18:03

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.

The Miracle View Drop Down

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Posted: September 07 2006 at 18:24

Because I like it. Why do we care so much about it? Just a hobby as good as any other. It hust suits some people's personalities more than Baseball or stapms, I guess.

last.fm

JJLehto

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Posted: September 07 2006 at 18:31

If there was no music.....what would we do with all that time

something constructive?

*shutters at thought*

I now have a s**t load of time to do work, and I still spend most of it listening to music

Peter

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Posted: September 07 2006 at 19:25

JJLehto wrote:

If there was no music.....what would we do with all that time

something constructive?

*shutters at thought*

I now have a s**t load of time to do work, and I still spend most of it listening to music

Winter's coming on, hey? (Or maybe a rock-flinging mob?)

Okay, okay -- I'll go away now! Embarrassed

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.

heyitsthatguy View Drop Down

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Posted: September 07 2006 at 19:43

Doesn't seem to work, I'm all about music and girls won't touch me with a 10 yard stick...(not that I'd want to "seduce" anyone, I can't stand the thought of it)

cuncuna

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Posted: September 08 2006 at 00:31

One thing I can say is: ¿what about that sort of nervous breakdown that female auddiences experience?. Crying, shouting, desperation, etc., at the very sight of a male idol. This, off course, goes only for "weak" minds. The counterpart of this behaviour would be the unfortunate habit of drulling on male auddiences. The article is very short, a closer look to the sources would help. I don't know if music works like they say; "enable men to seduce women". I really don't remember anything like that in my past. Alcohol is more likely to make you think that you can "seduce" someone. I've seen this on a friend. He thinks every girl is crazy about him after the third bottle of beer.

¡Beware of the Bee!