Re: "Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast."

[Pooya Woodcock <pooya@math.umd.edu>]

On Fri, Mar 16, 2001 at 02:38:55PM -0500, Elmer Elevator wisely wrote:
-> Your Group Punishment for being fairly quiet and inactive is this new
-> Thread, if anyone's interested.

okay. :-)

-> One Common Denominator I think we can safely assume we all have is our
-> love of beautiful music, and our joy of sharing it and learning more
-> about it.

indeed.

-> Does this make us Better Human Beings?

absolutely.

i listen to music and perform music as a pianist because i feel like
that is the best "medium" for me to communicate in. when i get mad
as hell, i don't scream or kick or break anything. i just go to the
piano and play some scriabin or something. if i feel metaphysically
intoxicated by a cute intelligent girl in my chemistry class, well, i
just go to the piano and play some chopin to get my mind off it and back
"on track" towards productive study (and hence less entropy).

so, yes; i think that music decreases psychological entropy and
engages either the listener or the performer in an unearthly state
that has powers that i cannot possibly comprehend. "music speaks
to the soul." or as i would say, your "soul speaks through music."

gould realized this even though he disliked public performance, and he
utilized it to the fullest -- he shared his love with others with
his broad recording library. and so, gould, i thank you. you have
just saved me from saying something stupid to that girl i mentioned
earlier. i guess i should also be thanking bach english suite no. 5
(e moll/e minor), but, whatever.

-- Pooya