# What kind of subjective experience do you enjoy more in music?.



## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

I like music because it makes me feel a wide variety of sensations (intellectual sensations). Many of these sensations sometimes also arise in another situations, some others no. Some of them are very emotional, some others more cerebral.
For example, for most pieces by Ravel, my sensations are more emotional. For example:






I feel this piece nostalgic, but at the same time optimistic. I feel very calm and relaxed when I hear it.






With this one, I find the profound and crude sadness of this piece as overwhelming. It's a destructive and obscure sadness. It's not optimistic at all. In fact, I relive moments of similar sadness that occurred in my own life, not the actual images of the event, but the sadness associated with it. I feel identified with Ravel at that moment.






When I hear this, I feel the sensation of mystery, that there's something out there in the universe, very profound, and which I don't know. Something that, in fact, is the reason of why I exist. I feel very calm and relaxed when I hear it, but at the same time anxious for the answer which will never come. So, it's more cerebral than the others. But it has an emotional component, since I used to watch the movie 2001 when I was a kid with my father and we always discussed about questions of metaphysics (what's reality?, etc.).

The same with Ligeti's Requiem, but with the question of what is dead?, metaphysics again, etc.

My perceptions with Ligeti's piano concerto and Boluez's Rituel are summarized here: http://www.talkclassical.com/20910-music-visual-arts-read.html

They are very complex and possibly very personal, but I feel very attracted to those images.






With this piece I feel savageness, something primitive, but primordial, which needed to be expressed in the most crude way possible. I really like that thought.

In general, I look for that kind of strong sensations in music, and I appreciate the variety. I consider great masterpieces, pieces which make me feel the most interesting and strong sensations, no matter if they are more emotional or more cerebral, the important thing for me is the challenge to my perception.


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## KRoad (Jun 1, 2012)

aleazk said:


> I consider great masterpieces, pieces which make me feel the most interesting and strong sensations, no matter if they are more emotional or more cerebral, the important thing for me is the challenge to my perception.


Perceptions of what? Please explain.


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## jani (Jun 15, 2012)

I know that it sounds cheesy but when i listen to Beethoven its like that he would understand how i feel etc... Also i feel some kinda "magical" connection to his music ( I don't have that feeling with other composers). Also his life story and his music teaches that you can "win" at life ( I hope that you know what i mean with "winning at life".) no matter what kinda hardships you face if you just wont give up.


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## KRoad (Jun 1, 2012)

You seek an empathic communication with the composer then? I suppose music communicates to us on many different levels, but my prefered "subjective experience" (as an adherent of abstract music) focusses on the aesthetics of the piece itself. There maybe a psycho/emotional kind of residue generated from the listening experience, but whether or not a piece is aurally pleasing to the ear takes priority with me.


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## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

My preferred subjective experience is when I associate pieces of music with memories so that the music evokes the memories in much the same way as certain scents have the tendency of doing. My memories aren't that great--it's the act of remembering, the nostalgia, that gives me pleasure. I feel so old.


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## Ondine (Aug 24, 2012)

Mozart's music causes me joy and happiness mostly. Some other oeuvres energy and zest and many other ones a beautiful dispassionate feeling; coolness and ease with things.

On the other hand, some of the piano works by Keith Jarrett causes me states of serene reflection and bliss.

I think it is enough stimulation for me. No need for more.


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## etkearne (Sep 28, 2012)

I enjoy mostly when music is able to cause neurological states essentially identical to those elicited by psychoactive compounds. For example, the surge of Dopamine Release with the pleasure of a euphoric cadence (aka the surge of Dopamine from taking amphetamines or Cocaine), or, the odd mental combination of anxiety and euphoria as seen in most modern classical (aka the random firing of Glutamate via 5-HT2A receptor activation by LSD). You get the picture.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

etkearne said:


> I enjoy mostly when music is able to cause neurological states essentially identical to those elicited by psychoactive compounds. For example, the surge of Dopamine Release with the pleasure of a euphoric cadence (aka the surge of Dopamine from taking amphetamines or Cocaine), or, the odd mental combination of anxiety and euphoria as seen in most modern classical (aka the random firing of Glutamate via 5-HT2A receptor activation by LSD). You get the picture.


I just like the tunes.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

In a lot of places the drugs are cheaper than the CDs. Why not just cut out the middleman?


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## KRoad (Jun 1, 2012)

etkearne said:


> I enjoy mostly when music is able to cause neurological states essentially identical to those elicited by psychoactive compounds. For example, the surge of Dopamine Release with the pleasure of a euphoric cadence (aka the surge of Dopamine from taking amphetamines or Cocaine), or, the odd mental combination of anxiety and euphoria as seen in most modern classical (aka the random firing of Glutamate via 5-HT2A receptor activation by LSD). You get the picture.


And they augment one another quite well, too (musically speaking).


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## etkearne (Sep 28, 2012)

I know it sounds rather silly! But I trying to make a "halfway" decent analogy to why I listen to music. The transformation of the state of consciousness in profound or subtle ways is music's gift. 

And to saying they augment each other: I "hypothetically" agree with that statement haha. Seriously, though, even caffeine can make a listening session more stimulating and focused. A nice cup of Joe and some music sounds good right about now but I have an hour of composing left for the day (I go from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm daily). And although I no longer drink, I have seen many people enjoying themselves with a quiet introspective evening of some wine and music. But beyond those drugs, we can only speculate...


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## Ramako (Apr 28, 2012)

I like it when music reaches out and grabs me. Sometimes a more relaxed, reflective style of music is nice (like Schubert) but for me I prefer it to actively make me want to empathise with the music (like Beethoven) - this is from the point of view of my subjective tastes. Sometimes I notice that I basically am not breathing while listening, which is probably unhealthy so I have to start to breath again, which does sometimes spoil the atmosphere, but it usually only happens because I am so hooked in the first place, which is nice


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