[Thor Joachim Haga]

FSM # 7: January 24, 2007

bruce r´s thread about “Film music for Real Life” reminded me of a somewhat related topic that I´ve wanted to start for a while. I hope you don´t mind me being a little academic here to get my point across.

In talking about our expectations to musical structures, Gestalt psychologists Juslin and Sloboda mention “intrinsic emotions”, i.e. ”music-theoretical constructs which have in common their intimate relationships to the creation, maintenance, confirmation, or disruption of musical expectations” (Juslin et al. 2001: 91). These are dependent not only on our experience with various musical forms, but also our KNOWLEDGE of these particular forms. This has to be differentiated from “extrinsic emotions”, which emanate from our memories and associations. These associations are “premised on arbitrary and contingent relationships between the music being expressed and a range of non-musical factors which also carry emotional messages on their own” (p. 94).

Now, what does all this mean? Well, imagine a teenager reading Stephen King´s book THE SHINING while listening to, say, SANTANA´S GREATEST HITS on the stereo. To him, “Black Magic Woman” will always be associated with the mood of the book….something mysterious, scary and evil. Certainly not Santana´s intention, one would assume, but it´s the result of the way our mind works. Or, to use a film music example, who can now listen to “An der Schönen Blauen Donau” without at least subconsciously thinking of dancing spaceships?

So….I was wondering if any of you have experienced this? Have you ever listened to a piece of music while doing something else or listened to a particular music “out of context” to the extent that it has received all new meaning, all new associations, that were never intended by the composer (film music or otherwise)?

Let´s share!

——-
Juslin, Patrik N. and John A. Sloboda (ed.)
Music and Emotion: Theory and Research (New York, Oxford University Press, 2001)

[Thor Joachim Haga]

Well, imagine a teenager reading Stephen King´s book THE SHINING while listening to, say, SANTANA´S GREATEST HITS on the stereo. To him, “Black Magic Woman” will always be associated with the mood of the book….something mysterious, scary and evil.

“A teenager”? Hey, that was me! Stop being so vague, young version of myself.

[Nick Zwar]

“Super Trouper” by ABBA and Brahms’ Requiem are both tied to a very personal event that happend Christmas years ago.

And I’ve got a very profane one: when I first listened to Danny Elfman’s EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, it was Christmas and I had some chocolate covered caramels. To this day I think of chocolate covered caramels when I listen to that score. (Not the worst association, I still like chocolate covered caramels.)

[Tall Guy]

Many years ago I used to wake up to the CD of Once Upon a Time in America via a very boxy music centre. I no longer play it very much, as it makes me feel that I should pull on a cheap suit and drive to the office.

[Forfatter]

Innlegg