"No? YES!"
What makes music appealing? Can a person find a piece of sound that is known as music appealing without any reference to the cultural laden baggage that accompanies it? Is it possible ? Can a person find a series of sounds appealing in one cultural context but when listened in another cultural context quite appalling ?
These are some of the questions that the 'Psychology of Music' attempts to grapple with. 'The Music Digest' blog among other things is an attempt to tackle some of the areas that are highlighted by studies in the 'Psychology of Music".
A good example of listening to music laden with cultural baggage is an article by Joe Maurone in which he describes how James Kilbourne, an opera buff, took on Maurone's challenge to listen and review the album "Going for the One" by the band 'Yes'. Kilbourne said he would give the album a listen and then post a review describing his listening experience. He ended up saying after that he
".......... pretty much did what he said he woudn't do. He did say that IF he LIKED it, he would carry back the message if he was 'converted,' but for whatever reason, felt compelled enough to write about his dislike." ........ MORE
