“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.”
― Victor Hugo (1802-1885), in “William Shakespeare,” (essay; 1864)
“After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.”
― Aldous Huxley, “The Rest is Silence,” in “Music at Night” (essay collection, 1931)
“Where words leave off, music begins.”
― Heinrich Heine (1797-1856) [attributed; I could find no source listed for this quote, so possibly it is not actually Heine’s. However, Heine had dozens of his songs set to music by great composers such as Schumann, Schubert, Mendelssohn, and others, so it seems likely that he would feel this way. It also happens to be very similar to the next quote.]
“Where words fail, music speaks.”
― Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), in “What The Moon Saw” (from “What The Moon Saw: And Other Tales”). For what it's worth, the actual quote is: “Where words fail, sounds can often speak,” so music is not mentioned. However, this quote is taken from a passage that references a variety of sounds, such as “the wind (that) blew stormy and cold,” the crack of a whip, and galloping horses, as well as a “death-hymn,” and “glad notes of joy.”
What are your thoughts on any of these quotes?
- Does music express things that cannot be put into words? If so, try to explain your answer, using – yup – words!
- Does music inhabit a realm that can go beyond, or is at least on a different plane, than words?
- If you feel that music “speaks,” or inhabits a realm beyond words, might this apply to other sounds as well? Consider, in particular, sounds in nature such as a bird singing, a donkey braying or cattle lowing, the wind buffeting your house in a winter storm, a babbling brook, a waterfall, rain hitting a tin roof, etc.; do these “speak?”
- Can you think of any other sounds that “speak,” or communicate something that is difficult or impossible to express in words? If so, how to they do this?
- Music often triggers emotions; to what degree is this due to something in the music that has a communicative function, versus the emotional state you happen to be in when you hear the music?
- Some people use the term, "musical language;" is music a language? How?
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34 comments:
Interesting questions, Dr. Ross. The idea of art reaching at something "beyond words" has something that has interested me for awhile. I think, though, that the idea expressed in these short quotes doesn't get at the whole story. What I think this idea is getting at is reaching towards a kind of knowing that goes beyond rationality. A kind of expressivity that dips into the language of memory and metaphor. I think the idea of it just being 'wordless' (as a shorthand for something beyond rational explanation) shortchanges text based medium. Does poetry not also have this ability? The ability to move someone in ways their rational brain can't understand? Does music with text make it less music? I think not.
In that vein, I do think that any sound can have this ability. Nature sounds, to use your example, often signify something more than their waveforms. There is something about the birdcalls of your hometown that can transport you back to childhood or that particular silence of the first snow that feels peaceful. I think these sounds are so powerful because we bring meaning to them either through some particular experience or a shared cultural knowledge. Much like spoken language, our musical language grows an evolves with changing usage. I am sure the feeling stirred by Beethoven in audiences today are much different than those of his contemporary audience.
So the short to this long answer is yes I believe music can express more than the rational sum of its parts but that is true of all art and all things we, as humans, choose to ascribe meaning to.
This is an idea I think about often. I think that the way in which music creates emotion is one of the main reasons I have such a passion for music and composition. Though words can be excellent at creating an emotional response, I think that words aren't as powerful as music in many situations. Music and sound can be so powerful because of the strong connections they may have with our memories. Everyday we hear millions of sounds as we live through our day-to-day lives (if you aren't deaf of course). Through all the good experiences and the bad, sounds are always present, and can be connected to significant moments in a person's life. Whether they are the songs you heard your father sing by the campfire as a child, or the tapping of a pencil in the back of your least favorite high school classroom, these sounds can bring back emotions and feelings that are more vivid than anything a page of words could ever produce.
This is a very interesting topic, one that, ever since first year thinking and writing, has been on my mind a lot. Words can express so much without anything backing it up, but whenever we hear music with those words, it adds that extra emotion that can convey the listening. When there are no words to say, that "musical language" that you speak of comes in to fill the void. Musical language is for sure a thing based on the point of that it adds the emotions some words cannot. The best example, in my opinion, is film scores! (here goes Patrick, talking about film scores AGAIN) When we watch a film, there are moments of suspense, action, happiness and sadness. A lot of those scenes are just actors doing some sort of action without talking, while the music in the background helps the audience understand the feeling the character is going through. I'm currently taking the Hanz Zimmer masterclass online, and he talks about the use of the "question" and "answer" motives. These motives can come up at the most important times in the film, and the music that is behind it can make the audience feel a certain type of way. Without the music, you might not that same emotion to the big question of the film. If you listen to a film score on its own, after you watched the movie, what are the chances that that one theme in a certain piece brings you back to that death scene, or that heroic scene? Pretty high, and it can make you feel some type of way, depending on how you felt when you watched the film. One thing I've noticed is that, sometimes I'll listen to a score for a film that I have never seen, but based on the score alone, I can pin point the more important parts of the film, because the composer does a great job at conveying that emotion that the viewer would normally have. It for sure speaks its own language and it can express emotion just as well as words can.
I enjoy this topic because I definitely believe music is on a different plane than words. The two are very different from each other and evoke different emotions and expressions. If people thought that words and music were the same, and interchangeable, no one would bother learning both and one would have died out. I believe both are necessary in different ways. Music does express things that cannot be put into words, however, each person will interpret every composition differently, and each person might interpret the same composition differently each time they listen to it depending on their mood. I do believe music is a language because it has its own method of communicating, audibly and visually.
Some very neat quotes, Dr. Ross. If all of these people believed this and have perished since, I would be a fool not to play devil's advocate (or maybe I have difficulty separating correlation from causation).
I am inclined to disagree somewhat. I have never been a fan of comparing music to language and, though it is a comprehensive way to teach music, establishing this "communication/evocation rivalry" benefits no one. Music is not an effective form of communication, it cannot convey specific information like language. It is a subjective experience that greatly differs between individuals and cultures. Even our broad ties of emotion to music of minor=sad, major=happy, dissonance=tension, pace=excitement, etc. don't stand true in other cultures. However this is not the goal of music, so it does not matter.
Language can communicate more efficiently and effectively than music can, I am a firm believer that nothing is inexpressible- you just need the vocabulary to do so. There is no information music can express that language could not in some way.
Music is meant to evoke emotion or feeling. It is not concise, specific, or even shared. But part of consuming any art or media is understanding your personal reaction. Art is both a reflection of the artist and the audience. Though I would believe this makes all art and media special (in varying degrees). Everything we experience is incredibly personal and carries distinct, individual connotations and associations- this intraspectiveness is why art is important.
When compared to language, the practical aspect of what music can communicate is brought into question. But there obviously is a reason we do not communicate to each other through music, sing our opinions, or write a symphony for a speech. That being said, there is also a reason we still practice, perform, and listen to music. I would be inclined to believe that it is due to the human mind's desire for diverse stimuli. If the only way we ever learned anything was through it being told to us we would go insane. We seek as many ways to receive information and emotion as possible, and music is definitely one of the most expressive, individual, and accessible mediums available to us.
I for the most part quite agree with these quotes. I do and pretty well always have felt that music is the best way to express feelings. While words very often get bogged down in specifics music does not. The art of storytelling through poetry or movies or novels I have found most aren't really trying to tell a story about a person going through a journey to discover their true lineage or whatever the plot may be, they are trying to evoke a reaction through one way or another. With music, it gets rid of the obligation to have to get through a plot to cause the audience response music just expresses it immediately. This I find is the true difference between the two, you could never really perfectly tell the story of a man finding his true lineage without words but I don't think you could ever really perfectly express how finding out who you're true father is would make you truly feel without music. So basically I think there is overlap between what the two do but for the most part I think they both have their own purpose that they can do extremely effectively.
That last comment was me I swear...
I’ve always found quotes like the ones mentioned to be a bit cheesy. I don’t feel as though music can do what words can’t. I feel that way because in almost every private music lesson I’ve had, I’ve been made to explain a part of my music using my words. I do think that music can make you feel different things than words can. I do, however, believe that’s because we connect certain music to certain events in our lives (i.e. Grey Foggy Day makes me feel comforted and nostalgic it used to get played at my uncle’s cabin every year when the family got together when I was a kid). I don’t think it’s actually the music that makes me feel that way, I think it’s the memories.
I’m a bit on the fence about whether music is a language. On one hand, music can indeed be used to trigger an idea or emotion, but on the other hand, music isn’t perceived the same way by different people. I guess this is similar to language. I definitely don’t agree with the cliché “music is a universal language.” I, for example, definitely wouldn’t get the same message from Danish folk music as Danish people would.
I think that both music and words have the ability to express abstract emotions and ideas that can be interpreted differently by everyone who interacts with them. For whatever neurological reasons, music often seems to have a stronger ability to captivate and evoke emotions within people than words do. When people experience things through music that they have not experienced through words, it may be because music can evoke complex emotions and ideas in people that would not be felt the same way if they were expressed through words. These complex and subjective emotions that people experience are based on their own personal experiences. Due to the more abstract nature of music, they are able to put themselves into the music, letting their own complex personal histories and emotions create a personal link between themselves and the music. This allows the music to appeal to their personal senses and create a deep sense of emotional connection. Books and poems can evoke similar feelings of personal connection to a work but music usually reigns supreme in this regard. Although we should not ignore the power that words can have in the right context.
I think that there are no possible wrong answers to any of those questions above. However, I do believe that ultimately music does not function as a suitable replacement for English language on a very technical level. I consider myself to be a rather poor communicator verbally. There are often times where I wish I knew how to articulate my point with better clarity and reason. In these situations, I find myself able to use music as a way of communicating ideas, emotions, or gestures rather than specifically communicating something such as ordering a coffee at tims (medium roast one milk to the tune of the surprise symphony please...) In music that I write and interpret, there are often specific moments that stand out to me the most as being relatable and very touching. I find myself lost in the sound and image which certain gestures can depict which can ultimately serve as what I refer to as "emotional refuge". We all have pieces we know that make us feel a certain way, and to me it is emotional refuge that guides us into not just enjoyment, but a need to continue making art through sound even more each day. Without getting even more on a tangent, I feel as though this idea of emotional refuge into music allows me to communicate interpersonally, relate to complete strangers about something we now may have in common, and can even draw upon other senses or memories. While communication and music have worked hand in hand overtime, I believe what triggers this is different in all of us and our own unique backgrounds. This is why we are all different as musicians in our own unique ways. Without this, then we may as well just stick wit MIDI. Lol.
I really enjoyed these posts and loved all the quotes included. I wanted to comment on a few of the questions you asked at the end of the post.
To start, I do believe that music can represent things that cannot be put into words. For me, this happens the I am mold by music, when I tear up listening to a piece, when I get chills while listening to a piece, or when I relate to a piece. Sometimes, I am feeling an emotion and I just do not know how to describe it. This could be any emotion - happy, sad, excited, anxious... I listen to a piece of music and suddenly feel so understood. Even though it was written by a different artist that didn't have my exact thoughts and experiences, I can still relate to it and feel that my emotions are valid and that they matter. We also turn to art when we cannot express ourselves verbally. Art pieces, music, dance, writing... all of these creative forms are used as an outlet for our emotions.
In regards to the last question, I don't personally think of music as a language, I think of it as an art form. To me, language is something that communicates concrete ideas and feelings. In music, people can experience their own relationship with any opposition, it is not concrete and it is not the same for everyone. Music is so subjective, and everyone will relate differently to every song and also interpret every song differently Language is normally a bit more easy to understand and dive into - there is often only one meaning behind a sentence. But a song can have hundreds of different meanings, one for each person who listens.
Lastly, I wanted to share that I do think that other sounds can inhabit a realm beyond words. For example, I personally found the sound of the ocean very calming. I love listening to these sounds and using them to calm me down. It is not music, though it still has to ability to make me feel connected and at peace.
Yes, I most definitely believe music can express things that cannot be put into words. Specifically, music from the Romantic era, even MORE specifically, Chopin! His Nocturnes, although they all go by the same form, each tell a different story, all of which are open to interpretation by the listener. Another piece that came to mind was the piece "Light of the Seven" by Ramin Djawadi. A ten-minute piece which tells the story of one of the "antagonists" so well... it's beautiful.
Yes, I most definitely think music "speaks"! Some examples of this include Amy Beach's two-piece set "Hermit Thrush" at Eve and at Morn, which contain bird calls in the middle and end sections of the pieces. Of course, they're replaced by high-pitched piano notes, but still! Another great example of music speaking is at the beginning of Olivia Rodrigo's song "driver's license", the somewhat calming tone that we hear when the car starts warps us into the world of the piece. Two incredible examples!
I do think that music can express what words can not. Words a restricted to express according to their definitions. Words for many human experiences, feelings, emotions and more have yet to be invented and so until there is a word for every single human experience, music is the best way to express that which can't be put to words.
- Peter Perez
I agree with these quotes, music can say things that word’s can’t. I think it’s because we’re able to interpret music in ways that are meaningful to us individually whereas words are more direct/concrete and are not able to be interpreted as freely. I sometimes use my own compositions to vent my frustrations, and anyone who hears them may be able to understand my feelings and connect with the music in their own way, even though they may not understand my situation. If I were to use words, I would have to explain why I was upset, and this style of communication would be less effective because my experiences are different from everyone else’s.
This is an interesting topic. I think the idea of music as a "language" is a lens which a lot of us often look through and I think we can all agree that music can communicate things to us when we listen and like a lot of these quotes say it can often communicate messages which words simply can't. This is where I think an interesting observation on the fact that two people listening to a piece of music can come away from it with a very different message and interpretation of what was being implied-thinking of music as a language we can say what was being 'said' by the music.
Another interesting thing which you bring up when one of your questions is how, if we consider music to 'speak' then do we apply this idea of a sonic language to other sounds, like those produced by nature, or bird song and stuff in that manner. To this I bring up the question of, are these sounds 'music' within themselves? I think one could make a rather compelling argument that the sounds of a babbling brook convey something musical within it, there is a rhythm to the sounds of the rushing water and one could pick out certain phrases and maybe even a melody within it. If this is the case then you could also say that these sounds speak to you in a certain way.
As cheesy as it is, sometimes when I am having a bad day, all I want to do is play piano. Sometimes you aren't in the mood to talk but still want a way to express. And to me, piano is this outlet. Here's the kicker.. I like to sing better than play the piano. However, in times of despair, I turn to piano before I turn to singing and I truly believe it is because music can express what words can not. Sometimes I would rather put my own words and emotions into the notes that I play, rather than turn my emotions into the words coming out of my mouth when singing. Unless you are improvising or singing your own song (which I do not do either of), the words to a song are someone else's thoughts. However, in piano I can put my own thoughts into it.
However, it's really only when I'm feeling down that I turn to piano. I am singer first and foremost and for this reason, the relationship between music and text is very special. As a voice major, I spend time learning about the composer and poet of each piece. I read about the poet's life.. what brought them to write these words? I read about the composers life.. what brought them to choose this poem? What relationships can be found between the words and the music? Most of the time, it is a symbiotic relationship and there are patterns and themes between the words and the music.
In conclusion, I do believe music can express what words can not, but I also believe that we must never discount the words, as they have often inspired, helped and demonstrated the music and without the words, the music would be nothing.
The quote by Heinrich Hein sticks out the most to me. To read or hear words is one experience, it communicates something to us, but unless there is an effort put in to analyze the meaning or purpose behind the words, they are just words. Music is really good at portraying emotion without that added level of analysis. When I hear a piece of music for the first time it usually elicits an emotional response right away in a way that's different from words.
I am currently in the process of completing my Art Song composition and I've realized that just the line of text by itself, without a supporting musical idea, is quite ineffective. Adding that musical element to bring the text's meaning to life is so important.
The quote by Hans Christian Andersen "Where words fail, music speaks," is actually tattooed on my right shoulder and for a very good reason!! I believe that music speaks and it definitely goes beyond words in my opinion.
I believe music speaks to us emotionally, we don't hear it, we feel it in a way words could never make us feel. The harmonies, balance, melodies even the rhythms all have a story and they could tell us of pain, happiness, contentment or joy but we will never speak to the music, we'll only hear it telling its story through the eyes of the composer; The composer is a gateway which allows the music to be heard as well as the composers feelings and emotions!
When people use the phrase, "That song spoke to me," I feel they are referring to their emotional side, it evoked an emotion which created an emotional reaction and this can be seen as a form of communication (eg. Body language is a great example of how we can communicate without words and that too can evoke an emotion without the use of words.) there may not be words but there definitely is communication!
It also boils down to how you write the music and how its played which also ties to the fact that body language evokes emotions as well as the music. When it is played with heart and soul using the power of the composers harmonies, balance and rhythms combining the body language and the feelings behind the music makes the music speaks directly to your own soul and you can feel what the music is saying!
I absolutely agree with these quotes. I think that music has the power to pull emotions out of people in a way that not many other things can. Today at the wind ensemble show our final song was a Prayer for Ukraine. Without any words or context other than the title, the music itself was particularly moving, and many people I spoke with after the show said that it was emotional in a way they did not expect. Even members of the band, who have been rehearsing this piece for weeks, felt particularly moved by this performance of the piece. If we had instead done a spoken tribute to Ukraine, I don’t think that it would have elicited the same response as the musical tribute did. The dissonances and releases created by the music were able to reach the audience on an emotional level that words don’t often reach. Based on this experience, I am inclined to believe that music does have a communicative power, and can alter the way you are feeling while you’re listening.
In terms of other noises and sounds, I think they can carry emotion too but not in the same way. For example, I find the sound of the ocean comforting and refreshing as it reminds me of Newfoundland, my home. However, I am aware that this is a learned association, because I have grown up listening to the sound of the ocean. As this kind of association is more individual, it becomes harder for these sounds to have intrapersonal communicative meanings. I think that music has the power to transcend these individual associations into something greater, and can act as a way of indirect communication of emotion from performer to listener.
Interesting quotes and questions! I find it hard to give a definite yes or no answer to questions along the lines of "does music express things that can not be put into words", I suppose because it is one of those things that depends on the situation. Music can evoke a lot of emotion, and bring to mind things which might be hard to put into words, but what it evokes is also dependent on context and/or culture. For example, I've heard the "dies irea" musical idea used to evoke the idea of death, and it does work on me and I enjoy hearing it used this way, but if it was to be played for someone who had never heard it before, they probably wouldn't have the same association. I think ultimately my answer would be "Yes, depending on context".
I 100% believe music expresses things that cannot be put into words. While there are certainly poems and stories that can touch you deeply, there is absolutely nothing like listening to a piece of music that sees you completely and resonates with your soul. A huge part of the reason I love making music so much is it’s ability to make you feel something deeper and we can express more than we would be able to with just words. Music is so ingrained in us as humans, we’re almost always humming, whistling, or listening to music, and I think this is why music is so special. We have to learn words and language, but music is in us forever. I do think the degree to which someone feels emotions when hearing music is dependent on their lived experiences, memories, and their emotional state that day. There are some songs/tunes that are quite sad, but when I hear them, I’m reminded of a positive memory so the song evokes a happy feeling, and vice versa.
Hans Christian Andersen’s quote “Where words fail, sounds can often speak” is particularly interesting, especially when thinking cross culturally. I think this wording encompasses the debate of music being a universal language as not everyone will agree on what is and isn’t music, but no one can argue what is noise vs what isn’t. Slam poetry, for example, isn’t really music, but they often employ onomatopoeia and they will use dynamics in their speaking voices to tell the story. I would go further to mention that silence can often be just as, if not more effective at evoking a feeling in the listener.
Finally, I personally consider nature sounds to be music because I find that the feeling I get when listening to bird song or water rushing can make me feel just as strongly as a piece of music would. I’m not sure if this is case for many other people, but I think that opening up the definition of what is music to your own personal interpretation allows is really powerful. I think it’s also telling that there is a huge amount of music that’s written about nature and inspired by these sounds.
I liked the point about whether music can be considered a language. Over time , I think we start to develop tropes within our music canon which become associated with certain thoughts and emotions, and in that sense we could consider music on its own a form of communication. However, I would argue that music is not a language that will be understood the same way by all who listen to it. All cultures develop music in different ways due to the insurmountable number of variables related to how a culture and language develops, so certain cultures will inevitably associate musical ideas differently to how we do. So I would say that music is a language, but not one that will always communicate the same ideas to everyone.
Astonishing blog post! I think it’s entirely possible for music to express things that are remarkably difficult to vocalise, though I also believe that with enough words it is probably possible to describe anything reasonably well. The first movement of Tchaikovsky’s 4th Symphony relates, in musical terms, a feeling of hopelessness and immobility commonly associated with depression. Tchaikovsky was in a bit of a depressive episode when writing this symphony, and he intended for it to be an echo of those feelings (though no more than an echo; by the time it was premiered he was feeling mostly alright). As someone who has experienced this exact feeling quite a bit, I can attest to the fact that Tchaikovsky really nailed the translation of physical and emotional feeling into music. However, this feeling is an incredibly guttural experience, one that is often unreachable by words because people in that state often don’t do well with words (again, speaking from experience). Something a little more commonplace or reachable such as elation or triumph, while still not exactly easy to describe with words, are nonetheless quite possible to translate into a spoken language; however music seems to find these emotions significantly easier to dissect and portray. This all being said, trying to use music as anything more than an emotional translator seems… daunting, to say the least. How do the concepts of “I just finished an emotionally draining TV series”, “I just watched my grandmother pass into a better place”, and “I just won a competition I have been training my entire life for” differ when translated into music? How could you possibly know which one is being discussed within a given piece? This is all, of course, assuming you even have a style of music that your entire audience can understand; this issue gets a lot more complicated when conflating different cultures and musical styles with each other, and is something I touch on more in my comment on the next blog post.
Interesting topic! I think its definitely true that music can communicate things that words may not be able to, however music has its communicative barriers as well. There are so many instances where language and music serve one another to create works of art that would not be as effective with just one or the other. We discussed a topic similar to this in a class I was in and someone brought up the topic of Universal Grammar, and how this might be related to how we create music. It would be interesting to study the topic of musical meaning in relation to this theory of language, and explore whether or not there is an identifiable structure or limit to all music which is used universally to convey meaning. While this takes some of the magic out of "music speaking beyond words" I think it actually could display how music may be unique from other forms of communication and why people appreciate it so much.
Music has always been an art form that I gravitate towards to express myself in a way that my limited words could not portray. I feel these quotes can be applied to various art forms other than music as well. I also turn to visual arts to express myself when words fail me. I feel there is caution with how these quotes are formulated. I think yes, music expresses the words to hard to say out loud, however, I feel it's a little more difficult to express them to others. To clarify, we as the composer or improviser know exactly what we're trying to say in our music, but our audience may not understand completely. In general, music is helpful when you feel the need to get your thoughts out when the words can not be formulated, however, communicating these thoughts to others can be a bit more tricky.
Regarding the original quote by Christian Andersen (the one that references a variety of sounds rather than just music), I think this idea should have been articulated in another way. I do not believe that the function of music is to say what words fail to say because in fact, words can express ideas much more precisely than music and probably other categories of art can, that is why humans gradually came up with language, a system in which the combinations of certain sounds convey a contractual meaning. However, this system has its own limitations, since the ideas that humans might need to communicate are countless. I do not think music can articulate what cannot be expressed through language, but it may be more efficient than language when it comes to communicating emotions (not meanings), though this might also be questionable since human’s perception of a piece of music is subjective and depends on many factors such as the listener’s background. I have the same opinion regarding other sounds, like sounds of nature; they can not communicate meanings and concepts, but they may provoke more emotions than words do.
I definitely think music and language are related. They're both a series of sounds which can communicate ideas and emotions. Like language, music isn't perfect at relaying the same exact ideas to every person in the exact same way. Two people might hear Beethoven's Waldstein Sonata and experience entirely different emotions from each other. In a similar vain, a tennis ball could be called green or yellow depending on who's looking at it. The tennis ball doesn't change color depending on who sees it, but our perceptions and experience of the tennis ball nonetheless are different. Although music is a lot less precise than language in its ability to communicate ideas, it still has the ability to greatly affect and instil certain emotions in people.
One of my favorite theories on the evolution of music in Humanity is the group cohesion that can arise when listening or playing music. With language, a group of 50 people can't all participate in dialogue with each other. Voices get muddled, drowned out, and meanings are lost in verbal cacophony. In music however, 50 people can individually create sounds and rhythms that layer on top of each other, creating a complex intermingling of voices and sounds. Through collective music making, social bonds can be formed quickly which is important if you're in a tribe of hunter gatherer people 50,000 years ago and need to constantly collaborate in order to get tasks done. (This YouTube video goes way more in depth on this topic than I can in this short blog reply https://youtu.be/VJClm_J1cV0 )
All this to say, there are many similarities between language and music stemming from the fact they're both auditory experiences. There are however also differences between the two: from the ability to precisely communicate an idea, to the ability to collectively participate in a creative activity.
I would describe music and language to be two separate planes of communication. Each with their own ability to convey different emotions. Music poses an interesting alternative to language as a form of self-expression, as I would argue it holds the potential to express a more precise feeling or emotion than words can. Words are confined– to some extent– to the number of adjectives in the dictionary. Music, with all its devices and capabilities can communicate a limitless number of precise emotions. An interesting element of music's communicative abilities is that its interpretation is entirely subjective. How someone interprets the ideas presented in music depends on a variety of factors such as culture for example.
In summary, music and language are two different mediums for communication. They each possess unique elements to their communicative abilities that render them useful devices for expression. Perhaps the combination of the two, singing, is the ultimate medium of expression as it combines elements of language and music.
Really hard questions to answer!
As I was reading this post I keep thinking about something Dr. Staniland always says in class. When does music stops being just music and it becomes art. The most successful answer I've found to this question is "Always". I think music always expresses something different to words or it expresses the same thing in a different way and as a consequence you might end up having a different conclusion to the same question depending on if you found the answer in daily life or in this case in music.
Ultimately, music is too different in everyone's mind to be able to correctly answer any question about the meaning of music of when something stops being "just music" or "beyond words" and it becomes something else.
Funnily enough, words are absolutely better at communicating most feelings than music is. I think music just evokes these feelings in a more personal and lifelike way that makes us feel like we understand the feelings the composer might have been thinking about, but often times the composer was not even thinking about any feelings when creating a certain piece.
Now, I absolutely think these feelings that music evoke which we feel are beyond words are important to pay attention to because they are truly a big part of the beauty of music.
I love the idea that where words fail music speaks! For me, lyrics and words in a song have always played a big part in how much I enjoy it. However, this idea especially works in modern music. Any really good song in my opinion can serve the same emotional impact without the lyrics being present, as it does with them. While words can express direct thoughts and describe things. I do think that music has its own language, in the sense that it better expresses raw feelings and atmosphere that words fail to capture. Like you can describe a bird call, but with the use of music, you can better convey it. In regards to sounds in nature. I think it best expresses atmosphere, which for certain people can lead to expressing different feelings.
Music can always trigger emotion, regardless of the state you are in while listening. I find this can actually work to your advantage. If I'm having a bad day, I'll listen to happy music and it will brighten my mood. Not because the music magically changes what went wrong with my day, but just because the music triggers a happier mood.
I agree completely with all of the points made in this post. Music in some ways are words without speaking. I find that music can have the same, if not more powerful of an affect, then poetry. They have the same concept, they both leave you with thoughts, however I find in ways words are unable to express the truly complex emotional intensity that music is able to capture. I especially liked the quote about music starting where words stop. I believe music has the ability to capture more emotions than words can and continue a story beyond words. I thought this post was well said and I completely agree
These are interesting but complicated questions. I find these statements to have a bit of a double standard because so much music contains words, however, I do think that the sound of an accompanying instrument adds an additional layer of depth in regards to the emotion that is meant to be felt. It feels redundant, in a way, when you understand the language that is being sung but for someone who doesn’t understand the language, the music’s mode, tonal language and even the use of instrumentation can provide a lot of context for what the subject of the song might be. I also think that how a few of these phrases are stated implies that music and words are separate, (ex: where words leave off, music begins), however, art songs, arias and other vocal works prove that they are not separate and that music and words should be looked at more like a Venn diagram, like all art forms in my opinion. That being said, I will agree with the other people who have commented on this post in saying that music — without words, for argument's sake — does effectively go beyond what words and even visual media can express. I also think that what is expressed through music by the person creating the sound is completely subjective, as in, I might right a piece of music aiming to convey a certain emotion, however, it may bring up a completely different emotion within my listeners and continuously approaching our own music as if we were on the receiving end as if we were not the one making it is something all musicians, composers and performers alike should bear in mind.
Music absolutely expresses things that cannot be represented with language, that's why I think in part music itself exists. If the things felt through music could be expressed in text, wouldn't we evolve past the need for music? Sure, maybe the aspect of human connection within musical performance would be here to stay, but other than that, I'm not sure if many people would be creating music in this proposed universe. I feel as if one of the greatest parts of composing / writing music is the almost 'chase' to write something that represents you as a composer, without explicitly explaining it through words to your audience. The beauty in the creative process comes from putting these superficial emotions into musical moments as a means of alternate expression to the world of language. While I do also think that the listener's predisposed condition while listening to music can alter their emotional attachment to said work, there is definitely another further form of emotional connection being made between the listener and composer. There have been many songs, or albums rather, in my life that I have gone into listening feeling completely indifferent about my current state in life, only to finish listening and afterwards feel completely differently on an emotional basis. There are lots of ways in which music exists beyond words, and I think that's why music as a means of expression has lasted within virtually all cultures for so many thousands of years - as it brings something new past the language-based forms of emotional expression, and combines it with aspects of musical connection.
"Does music express things that cannot be put into words?"
I believe it does because sometimes, you can't find the words to describe something your feeling (one's vocabulary can only be so big), so music - like any form of art that doesn't require words - can allow for those emotions to be conveyed, albeit not always explicitly.
"Does music inhabit a realm that can go beyond, or is at least on a different plane, than words?"
I'd like to think it does, because, as indicated earlier, music can convey things such as emotions that mere words cannot convey.
"If you feel that music “speaks,” or inhabits a realm beyond words, might this apply to other sounds as well?"
It depends on what the sound is. Obviously the sound of a rock hitting the ground doesn't speak to me as much as birdsong does during a sunny morning, but certain sounds could speak to me depending on how they sound.
"Can you think of any other sounds that “speak,” or communicate something that is difficult or impossible to express in words? If so, how to they do this?"
As mentioned previously, birdsong in the morning speaks to me in a sense that if signals new beginnings. You could say birdsong counts as music though, when you think about it, because the birds are technically "singing".
"Music often triggers emotions; to what degree is this due to something in the music that has a communicative function, versus the emotional state you happen to be in when you hear the music?"
I think emotional state has a lot to do with how strongly music conveys emotion, but not entirely. If you're already sad when you hear a sad-sounding piece, you're probably more likely to cry that if you weren't sad initially.
"Some people use the term, "musical language;" is music a language? How?"
One could say that music isn't a language, as languages typically involve dialect, but it does fill the requirement of communication that expresses what words may not be able to. In that case, it could be considered a language.
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