Music means…

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Stefan Wharton

In this brief paper I will attempt to address the subject of meaning in music and relate it to my own experiences as a listener. Firstly I would argue that meaning and music are inseparable, and that with every instance of music there is meaning. Yet how is it that the music of John Zorn or Prince can ‘mean’ so much to me, and the music of others ‘mean’ so little? What exactly do these statements signify? Are they reasonable? Where is the meaning and what is it?

In approaching the subject of meaning in music it is first necessary to discern exactly what music is. This inquiry alone warrants an extended paper for music is evidently an elusive concept; even its definition is unclear. Music is interpreted variously as what one listens to and what one plays; as art and as social form; as sound in time or a notated score. Alternatively it may imply neither sound nor script but actions and decisions, even independent of their sonic derivatives. “A good cook can whip up natural ingredients with water and fire, often with split second decisions… this requires time and timing… These actions are often more like real music to me…” (Eye, 2007) It is fruitless to argue the weight of any one diagnosis over another. It is advantageous however to recognise that music is capable of manifesting itself in a variety of ways; to appreciate that at every level music has the capacity to generate meaning. Hence I believe it is possible to establish the whereabouts of meaning in music. Meaning is omnipresent; it pervades the entire culture of music. Born similarly honours this, referring to “the ensemble or constellation of practices, beliefs, communications, social relations, institutions and technologies” (Born, 1993) through which music has meaning. I believe the problem however is in identifying the meaning.

The rock song often bears explicit reference, and it may be agreed, “meaning involves some kind of reference…” (Robinson, 2007) Instrumental music however is not so absolute and formalists would argue that it provides “no ‘extra-musical’ reference at all.” (Robinson, 2007) However these are superficial illustrations that ignore the crux. To me, meaning in music is something extra-linguistic that refers to unique experiences. Thus to describe meaning in music is to impose meaning. I agree with Jamie Saft in that “when considering terms to deconstruct music, all language is equally useless in expressing something extra-linguistic.” (Saft, 2008) Indeed it would be no less useful to consider all music “in degrees of ‘Cream’ and ‘Crunch’.” (Saft, 2008) These words are open to interpretations yet to the individual they stand as confinements, restraining the natural fluidity of meaning in music. Of course all words are “equally meaningless modes of enquiry when considering music. They are constructs of the world outside the music itself, meant to shackle music and lock it up in an ivory tower, never to see daylight or open ears again.” (Saft, 2008)

To say that John Zorn’s music ‘means’ a lot to me is to purely emphasise the fact that it does mean, and not what it means. This is the design I wish to uphold, as to pinpoint meaning in music is to contradict its very essence.

Music, it could be argued, simply means.

Literature

Eye, Yamantaka (2007): ‘What is Music?’ in Zorn, John (ed.) Arcana II: Musicians on Music. New York: Hips Road

Saft, Jamie (2008): ‘ZZ Top and Meaning in Music’ in Zorn, John (ed.) Arcana III: Musicians on Music. New York: Hips Road

Robinson, Jenefer (2007): ‘Can Music Function as a Metaphor of Emotional Life?’ in Stock, Kathleen (ed.) Philosophers on Music: Experience, Meaning, and Work. Oxford: OUP

Born, Georgina (1993): ‘Understanding Music as Culture: Contributions from Popular Music Studies to a Social Semiotics of Music’ in Pozzi, Raffaele (ed.) Tendenze e metodi nella ricerca musicologica. Florence: Olschki

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