Does music have a purpose? Is it important? Should an audio
engineer know?

Any ideas, and links, appreciated.

Ian

In article CvOco.686$Hu7.100@hurricane,
Ian Iveson wrote:
Does music have a purpose?

To provide enjoyment etc?

Is it important?

More to some than others. As a generalization, the music *you* like is
important. The sort you don't can be a big source of annoyance.

Should an audio engineer know?

Of course.

Others here have said that a good audio engineer must have an in depth
knowledge of music - like say a formal qualification. My experience says
this isn't so - some of the best music sound balancers I've known had no
such degree. But with just about every man and his dog having further
education these days and the lack of work based training this may change
simply by default.

Any ideas, and links, appreciated.

Are these for, say, a youngster wanting to enter the industry?

--
*I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Ian Iveson" wrote in
message news:CvOco.686$Hu7.100@hurricane

Does music have a purpose?

Music seems to satisfy some very basic human needs.

The book "This is your Brain on Music" provides a ton of well-documented
supporting evidence for that idea.

Is it important?

Yes, which seems self-evident. Music and music-makers seem to have a firm
niche in just about every human social pattern.

Should an audio engineer know?

Knowing not only what to do but why to do seems to be generally helpful.

"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
...
"Ian Iveson" wrote in
message news:CvOco.686$Hu7.100@hurricane

Does music have a purpose?

Music seems to satisfy some very basic human needs.

The book "This is your Brain on Music" provides a ton of well-documented
supporting evidence for that idea.

Is it important?

Yes, which seems self-evident. Music and music-makers seem to have a firm
niche in just about every human social pattern.

Though interestingly some Muslims claim that music is "forbidden" by God.
Seems odd for something that seems to be as essentially human as language
is.

Should an audio engineer know?

Depends what you mean by "audio engineer". If you mean a recording engineer
in the music recording business - yes, otherwise not necessarily.


David.

"David Looser" wrote in
message
"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
...
"Ian Iveson" wrote in
message news:CvOco.686$Hu7.100@hurricane

Does music have a purpose?

Music seems to satisfy some very basic human needs.

The book "This is your Brain on Music" provides a ton of
well-documented supporting evidence for that idea.

Is it important?

Yes, which seems self-evident. Music and music-makers
seem to have a firm niche in just about every human
social pattern.

Though interestingly some Muslims claim that music is
"forbidden" by God.

So do some Christian Denominations. The prohibition of music by Christian
denominations seems strange given the Bible's treatment of music. The usual
Christian canon of holy writings includes the book of Psalms, which can be
translated "songs".

Seems odd for something that seems to
be as essentially human as language is.

Not only that, but music is a kind of language, even just instrumental
music.

Should an audio engineer know?

Depends what you mean by "audio engineer". If you mean a
recording engineer in the music recording business - yes,
otherwise not necessarily.

I haven't met an audio engineer who does not seem to think that music has a
purpose. Some of them can be quite eloquent about it, even those who are far
removed from actual music production.

In article ,
Arny Krueger wrote:
Depends what you mean by "audio engineer". If you mean a
recording engineer in the music recording business - yes,
otherwise not necessarily.

I haven't met an audio engineer who does not seem to think that music
has a purpose. Some of them can be quite eloquent about it, even those
who are far removed from actual music production.

Probably because playing with a multi-mic setup on music is fun for any
audio engineer, even although it may not be his choice of music to listen
to for pleasure.

--
*I finally got my head together, now my body is falling apart.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article , Arny
Krueger
wrote:
"David Looser" wrote in message

"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
...
"Ian Iveson" wrote in message
news:CvOco.686$Hu7.100@hurricane

Does music have a purpose?

Music seems to satisfy some very basic human needs.

The book "This is your Brain on Music" provides a ton of
well-documented supporting evidence for that idea.

Is it important?

Yes, which seems self-evident. Music and music-makers seem to have a
firm niche in just about every human social pattern.

I guess it is possible to live without music. But the absence would for me
changing 'living' into 'existing and not yet being dead'. It isn't simply
that it is enjoyable. So are gardening or eating chocolate. It also is a
form of human communication that can convey things that can't be put into
words. Perhaps as close as we can get to telepathy for some aspects of the
nature of being a sentient human in a real universe.

Though interestingly some Muslims claim that music is "forbidden" by
God.

So do some Christian Denominations. The prohibition of music by
Christian denominations seems strange given the Bible's treatment of
music. The usual Christian canon of holy writings includes the book of
Psalms, which can be translated "songs".

I'd suspect is also a rather strange idea for most of those who say they
are 'Muslim' as well. I'd guess that the problem is that some people
develop their own ideas and 'project' them on to a chosen 'religion'. In
effect they hijack 'God' to bolster their own ideas. This isn't a failure
of the 'mainstream' beliefs under such names. More a problem of some
indivuals and sects passing off their own ideas using them as a 'brand
name' to try and ensure they can demand they are right and no-one can dare
challenge them because they would be challenging 'God'.

Alas, it can then easily be used to criticise others who simply *don't*
accept such extreme ideas as being Christian/Musilim/etc ones.

We recently had a religious sect in town for a week. They made a lot of
noise (albeit less so than last year). There were complaints. Out of
curiosity I had a look for info about their sect and it was a mix of weird
and worrying from my POV. IIUC In essence it seems that they are the
opposite of the 'ban music' idea. Instead they *exploit* 'music' in various
forms with the aim of inducing states of 'consciousness' sic that cause
people to have 'revelations', etc. i.e the approach of shamans
voodoo-doctors down the centuries. Yet it claims to be a 'christian' sect.

To me that seems just as weird and unrepresentitive of the religion they
say they believe in as others who want to 'ban' music.

Moving more OT: Did any others seen last week's program by Dawkins on
'Faith Schools' in the UK. I found that weird as well. Not because of what
he said. But the comments by some of those in 'education'. Again it did
give me the impression that 'education' was being used as a brand name or
cover story to deflect any criticism of what they actually were doing.


Seems odd for something that seems to be as essentially human as
language is.

Not only that, but music is a kind of language, even just instrumental
music.

Yes. The curio for me is the extent to which someone can sense meanings (or
moved in particular ways) without necessarily having them explicitly
explained. Yet others find unfamiliar types of music unpleasant or
baffling. What intrigues me is the extent to which a 'new to the listener'
type of music excites rejection by some whilst moving and fascinating
others.

For example. I have liked various types of music like Indian classical
music from the first time I heard it. Yet others don't. You can make
similar points about 'Jazz' or all sort of other forms of music.

This is probably partly a matter of what you were immersed in from young,
so based partly in cultural background or habituation. But when listening
to music of types that are unfamiliar in some cases the result is liked and
moves, but in others not. The curio is how to explain this variability.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Arny Krueger wrote:
Depends what you mean by "audio engineer". If you mean a
recording engineer in the music recording business - yes,
otherwise not necessarily.

I haven't met an audio engineer who does not seem to think that music
has a purpose. Some of them can be quite eloquent about it, even those
who are far removed from actual music production.

Probably because playing with a multi-mic setup on music is fun for any
audio engineer, even although it may not be his choice of music to listen
to for pleasure.


Well as I said before, it depends what you mean by "audio engineer". You
clearly think it means "recording engineer" with access to multi-mike
set-ups and a source of live music. I suggest that there are many, many
audio engineers who never get anywhere near a recording studio, indeed never
do any recording at all.


David.

"David Looser" wrote in
message
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in
message ...
In article
, Arny
Krueger wrote:
Depends what you mean by "audio engineer". If you mean
a recording engineer in the music recording business -
yes, otherwise not necessarily.

I haven't met an audio engineer who does not seem to
think that music has a purpose. Some of them can be
quite eloquent about it, even those who are far removed
from actual music production.

Probably because playing with a multi-mic setup on music
is fun for any audio engineer, even although it may not
be his choice of music to listen to for pleasure.


Well as I said before, it depends what you mean by "audio
engineer". You clearly think it means "recording
engineer" with access to multi-mike set-ups and a source
of live music.


I suggest that there are many, many audio
engineers who never get anywhere near a recording studio,
indeed never do any recording at all.

...and I'm saying that I know a number of guys who have this kind of
involvement with engineering (automotive sound is a big thing in this town)
and they generally think that music has a purpose.

As I think more about it, some of my friends have told me stories about
other guys in their areas back at the shop who pretty much treat audio
engineering like music was irrelevant.

The guys I know were enthusiastic about audio and music before they were
professionally engaged in engineering. Audio and their love of music may
have attracted them to engineering.

"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
...
"David Looser" wrote

Well as I said before, it depends what you mean by "audio
engineer". You clearly think it means "recording
engineer" with access to multi-mike set-ups and a source
of live music.


I suggest that there are many, many audio
engineers who never get anywhere near a recording studio,
indeed never do any recording at all.

..and I'm saying that I know a number of guys who have this kind of
involvement with engineering (automotive sound is a big thing in this
town) and they generally think that music has a purpose.

My comment was addressed to Dave P who seems to think that the term "audio
engineer" means "recording engineer".

I accept that the overwhelming majority of audio engineers (of all types)
listen to music and think it important. Audio equipment designers, for
example, are probably doing that because they like to hear music reproduced
as well as possible.

But it's not *necessary* to like music, think it important or understand
music theory to be an audio engineer (unless you are a music recording
engineer). Not all audio is music, a lot of it is human speech and those who
work in those areas need not have any appreciation of music at all.

David.